Perhaps you already know that Peter Green is one of the first ports of call for the ‘real’ Father Christmas during the holiday season, and many eagerly await this first appearance at our store.
No fake beards and Ho ho hos here, we have the real thing!
Update: 2015: News from Peter Green:
We are holding our Christmas Party Evening tonight & on the 10th December. Are you coming? pic.twitter.com/Ip7bP09atT
— Peter Green (@peter_green_) December 7, 2015
Yes, for the last twenty years he has joined us at our annual Christmas Tree Party, donned in his red fur trimmed suit, and the familiar black boots.
Whether the Christmas be white or not Father Christmas is still able to offer our youngsters a ride in his sleigh, and sometimes a few of the oldies can have a ride too, if of course, they have been good.
When Father Christmas visits us he substitutes Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, with a a beautiful white mare, (the others preferring to stay in more Northerly climates until the big day), and he swaps out the sleigh runners for wheels, which are much better suited to his evening circuit around the streets of Chandler’s Ford.
During the party School Lane resounds with the jingle of sleighs bells mingled with the delighted laughter of our young visitors, and of course Santa himself.
During a quiet moment during last year’s gathering Father Christmas revealed to us that he sees our Christmas Party as a kind of, “rehearsal for the real event,” that helps to get him in the “holiday spirit”… and we couldn’t agree more. But we were curious as to what he does when all the festivities are over, and so we questioned him a little more.
After a long pause he told us that after dusting off his suit and giving his beard a good trim, he goes back to his day job, dividing his time between his stables in the North Pole and those in Hampshire, where he breaks both horses and reindeer.
Horses or reindeer?
When asked which he preferred, he told us “every animal is different, although the reindeer can be a little ornery and can give you a proper clip with their antlers if they are so inclined.” Father Christmas told us that he runs a special flying school in the North Pole for reindeer, and each year he conducts a refresher course for the famous eight and a few other back ups.
Father Christmas and Peter Green horse-drawn cart
It may or may not be known that Father Christmas has other links with the Peter Green store as well. For twenty years he drove the famous Peter Green horse-drawn cart, which made local deliveries of furniture and flooring around the town and gave people courtesy rides at local fates and fairs in the Hampshire area.
Father Christmas told us, “No one knew it was me and that was part of the fun of it all.” Next year Peter Green is hoping to reinstate this special service for all of the community to enjoy, but in the meantime we do not want you to miss our wonderful Christmas Tree Evenings, so join us and become party of the fun and the fantasy at Peter Green.
Christmas Tree Parties at Peter Green:
7th December (Monday) & 10th December (Thursday) 2015: 5pm to 8 pm
Peter Green, School Lane
Chandler’s Ford SO53 4DGTelephone: 023 8026 9011
Website: Peter Green
Related posts:
- Peter Green
- Peter Green Coffee Shop
- Memory Of Peter Green – Part 1
- Memory Of Peter Green – Part 2
- Coffee And Free WiFi In Chandler’s Ford
Note: “Who is the Real “Father Christmas” in Chandler’s Ford?” by Wendy Martin is a popular post on Chandler’s Ford Today. This updated post is a revision of the post published on 28th November 2014.
I remember we visited Peter Green’s Father Christmas before and my son had a ride. It was a very impressive Santa encounter. I also remember seeing the horse cart before. Once I asked the man driving it what he was doing, he answered he was delivering furniture. I couldn’t believe it so I told my little boy – “No, it’s impossible, perhaps he lied to us. He was just riding for a bit of fun.”
How wrong I was!
We’d love to meet the Father Christmas again (though my boy is now taller than me!)