Story Chapter 51 ~ A Christmas One.

(Artist: Andrew Bannecker)

As a kid, as with now I went to see  Santa every year. The Santa of choice was always the one at the DIC department store on Princess Street in Dunedin.

Why?

Because of the Pixies of course.

This is one of my most enduring memories of Christmas as a child. You had to go down a wide set of stairs to the basement of the store. Often there was a long queue because he was such a popular Santa. You lined up. Paid the money and waited sneaking a glance at the other children as they each took their turn on Santa's Knee. 

The smell was predominately of the saw dust which for some reason was liberally sprinkled over the floor. (Maybe to mop up the accidents of over excited children?)

But to be honest though he should have been Santa was never the main attraction, he was always just a happy stop on the way to see the pixies. There was a brief chat about Christmas Wishes and then a small treat (I don't recall ever having my picture taken). And then it was on to see the pixies.

Much time was taken to study every little Tableau. To see the workings of the Mill, the butcher and the ferris wheel. To note the donkey being beaten to pull the mill stone and the band. There was music- I don't remember it- but I am sure I believed at the time it was delightful. 

Then I was most likely dragged away from the pixies along a long hallway with larger tableau's depicting various nursery rhymes and fairy tales behind class windows. We came out up another set of stairs into a world totally lacking all the magic of the one we had just left behind, knowing that it would be another full year before we entered that world again.

I think this photo taken circa 1991 with my school friends Tara and Berri would have been my last visit to Santa at DIC.

DIC has long since closed and is now the home of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

But when we visited Dunedin in 2006 for Christmas we were lucky to catch a display of the Pixies at the Otago Early Settlers Museum.

 ♥