There was always a very exciting Saturday in late November or early December when I was a little girl. That was the day Santa arrived in town.
I was brought up in Scunthorpe and the big retailer in our town was Scunthorpe Co-operative Society. You could get anything from the Co-op. My school uniform, and shoes, Mother's knitting wool and most of our kitchen equipment was from one of their stores. The High Street had several Co-op shops including a pharmacy, a jeweller and a department store. My sister's first "Saturday" job was selling ties in that department store.
I digress. Back to Father Christmas.
Santa had his grotto in the Co-op departmental store but he had to arrive with ceremony so on the first Saturday in December a very special passenger arrived at Scunthorpe railway station. He then had to travel to the shop in style but style in Scunny came on a co-op lorry. It was always decorated and I can remember the day that Santa arrived in a space ship (see photo) but in other years he arrived in a train, an outsized cracker or even on a sleigh, always based on a Co-op lorry.
Every child in the town would be taken to see his arrival and he would be greeted with great cheers as he made his way up the High Street and most of us knew that some time before Christmas we would be taken to see the great man. I'll tell you about one of my visits another time.
Love the photo! We had great childhood's, didn't we? At least in memory but I really do think children of our time had it better. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCo-ops really were the heart of the town back in the day - selling everything and divi too!
ReplyDeleteLovely memories
I can remember still my mother’s London Co-operative Society number, when arranging her funeral my sister and I were amused when we discovered that what we thought was an independent funeral director was part of the co-op, would there have been a dividend if we had quoted her number which we both remembered?
ReplyDeleteYes, PixieMum, there probably would have been "divi"! I remember when my Father paid for my Grandmother's funeral we received reams of Co-op stamps. It caused a fair amount of hilarity.
ReplyDelete