The sleigh was dusted off and the reindeer were fed - Santa had to get to the grotto somehow.
In 1998 The Southern Daily Echo held a Christmas roadshow where Father Christmas greeted excited kids at grottoes around Hampshire.
More than 100 children visited Santa Claus at Daily Echo offices in Hanover Buildings and Hythe to deliver their Christmas wishes and receive a present.
At least 100 more youngsters visited the extremely busy Santa for some festive cheer at newsagents in Shirley, Totton, Woolston, and Hedge End amongst other places.
A picture was taken with each child before Santa headed back to Lapland, to carry on his festive duties.
The Southern Daily Echo are playing the part of the ghost of Christmas past and are taking their readers back to those grottoes through those very same images.
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