<p>This photograph of me with Santa Claus was taken on December 21, 1957, when I was three years old. The meeting took place in London, about 70 km from the village of Cranfield, in Bedfordshire, where my IAF father was pursuing an aeronautical course. <br /><br /></p>.<p>I have pleasurable memories of occasional visits to England’s Capital, but can barely recall my encounter with Santa. After all, as the date behind the snapshot <br />attests, it happened 58 years ago! My 88-year-old mother remembers that distant day. <br />At the peak of the Christmas season, my parents were at a London departmental store where they and other shoppers were encouraged to buy toys for their children. <br /><br />Those were then wrapped, labelled and handed to Santa Claus. That familiar figure, hired by the management to boost sales, played his customary role of calling <br />out names and distributing presents. <br /><br />As the picture shows, Santa Claus felt obliged to greet each young recipient. Also evident is my fear of the red-clad man with the snowy beard. Even if I had wished to chat, we could not have exchanged pleasantries. <br /><br />When my hesitant handshake was captured on camera, I spoke very little English. In fact, I did not know the legendary gift-giver as Santa Claus or Father Christmas. To me he was ‘Christmas Thatha’!<br /><br /></p>
<p>This photograph of me with Santa Claus was taken on December 21, 1957, when I was three years old. The meeting took place in London, about 70 km from the village of Cranfield, in Bedfordshire, where my IAF father was pursuing an aeronautical course. <br /><br /></p>.<p>I have pleasurable memories of occasional visits to England’s Capital, but can barely recall my encounter with Santa. After all, as the date behind the snapshot <br />attests, it happened 58 years ago! My 88-year-old mother remembers that distant day. <br />At the peak of the Christmas season, my parents were at a London departmental store where they and other shoppers were encouraged to buy toys for their children. <br /><br />Those were then wrapped, labelled and handed to Santa Claus. That familiar figure, hired by the management to boost sales, played his customary role of calling <br />out names and distributing presents. <br /><br />As the picture shows, Santa Claus felt obliged to greet each young recipient. Also evident is my fear of the red-clad man with the snowy beard. Even if I had wished to chat, we could not have exchanged pleasantries. <br /><br />When my hesitant handshake was captured on camera, I spoke very little English. In fact, I did not know the legendary gift-giver as Santa Claus or Father Christmas. To me he was ‘Christmas Thatha’!<br /><br /></p>
