From fairyland to reality (From Gazette & Herald)

From fairyland to reality

I SUPPOSE it's never too late to tell a Christmas story. This one I've had on the back burner for a month, so, duly condensed, it went something like this. Each year, just before Christmas, Father Christmas pays us a visit, in fact four in all, at Yorkshire Air Museum, and each year we try to make it a little different.

Since 1998 when we took delivery of a Handley Page Dart Herald from Channel Airways, it has been used as Santa's Grotto, because all the passenger seats have been removed, which leaves it ideal for 'grottoising'. Our permanent staff made an excellent job of this, all arranged so that the children entered through the cargo door, from where a message was radio'd down to the gifts department telling whether girl or boy, and what age group was coming next, so that the correct gift could be handed to Santa who was sitting in his corner ready to present this all-important parcel. This year's plan was for Santa to appear to arrive by aircraft, touching down behind the trees, where the museum's huge Pyrene Pathfinder was waiting to carry him to his grotto. This fire appliance would then appear along the perimeter track, all lights flashing and sirens wailing, and deposit that all-important gentleman at his grotto, where a crowd of 150 or so excited children (and mums and dads) would be anxiously waiting. In fact, Santa is already within the Pathfinder, which is an awesome sight with its six-wheeled layout, with wheels of around 5ft in diameter, 37 tonnes and carrying 3,000 gallons of foam. In fact, it is one of the UK's largest fire appliances. After the aircraft is seen flying overhead, it then touches down behind the trees, and the fire appliance, with Santa aboard, then races to the grotto.

Unfortunately, on one day the cross-wind was gusting so strongly that the pilot of the aircraft radio'd that he couldn't risk landing, but would come down low behind the trees, and the illusion should be about as good. Meanwhile, at the grotto, Bob the Builder, who had the children already chanting for Santa to 'Hurry up Santa', latched smartly onto the inability to land the aircraft, and quickly explained to them what was happening, and that Santa was going to have to parachute out. All went according to plan, probably better, and the children were absolutely ecstatic when their man in red stepped down and into his grotto.

One slightly worried tot, after thanking Santa for her present, asked: "Did you have far to jump, Santa?" "No," said Peter, their hero of the day, "I had my chute on, and I was all right." Satisfied, the little one left the grotto to the arms of her waiting mum. Most children wanted to have their pictures taken, sitting on Santa's knee, and one youngster afterwards suddenly said: "Oh, Santa, I nearly forgot - my mum wants her picture sitting on your knee as well." As a result, Peter told me afterwards, he'd never had so many pictures taken, and especially with at least nine young mums sitting on his knee. (Not all at once I hasten to add!) The museum staff had worked like trojans to make this a success for the over 400 children who came during this period, from the ladies who ordered the presents and sorted them out, to the decorating of the grotto, and the ground staff who prepared the aircraft and safety precautions and who looked after the youngsters, and the fire crew for the added excitement, as well as the aircraft pilot. It was a wonderful four days. For everyone!

Back from fairyland to reality, and congratulations to the policemen who, in their own time, carried out a week-long surveillance resulting in the arrest of two car thieves. The report stated that the judge "had no choice other than giving a custodial sentence." It read a bit like an apology, yet it is only by setting examples that the message will ever get across to the criminal class. Defending one's own property is of much concern to people in this country for, by so doing, they can easily end up on the wrong side of the law themselves, and my view is that this should never happen. What happens in other countries?

The number of window breakages in Malton seems never-ending - all one must assume to be the result of drunkenness. I feel sure that these occurrences have been analysed, and there may perhaps be a pattern. A repeat of the action taken against the car thieves ought to slow down this disrupting stupidity. In the forces, anyone giving as an excuse that they were under the influence of drink would get an extra sentence for being so. No messing about!

A poem last week by Jenifer Allison, of Norton, dedicated to Mark Hildreth set the memory bells jingling, for I went to school with a boy of that name, who would perhaps be the son of the First World War veteran. Would he, I wonder, be any relation to another Hildreth, of Norton, who was the fastest runner the school had ever had. I think perhaps Raymond was his name. A pleasant, quiet and unassuming boy, liked by everyone. Contender in the East Riding County Sports held at Pocklington, 1936 I think it was, and a winner I expect. Lovely days!

Consider this: "Men are not hanged for stealing horses, but that horses may not be stolen." George Savile, Lord Halifax. Statesman. (1633-95).

Updated: 09:55 Wednesday, January 21, 2004