Dear Santa,

IT has taken me all of 68 years to put pen to paper, and eventually write to you. I could start my letter by giving out to you, but what is the point, as I clearly want to tell you the joy you bought to me as a child. I waited with my brothers for your arrival; the excitement, the anticipation, the emotions and expectations all still live on in such beautiful treasured memories.

Your arrival was imminent and we waited for the clang of your big bell and the “Ho, Ho, Ho” as you called to our house. We rushed down the stairs to greet you and receive our presents, magical.

You were a little late, and told us you were delayed in the North Pole. You were jolly and merry, Santa, and my mother remarked you might have had a sip too much sherry!

As you started to distribute our Christmas presents, my two older brothers got their cowboy suit and rifle with caps, and my two younger brothers got a fire engine and spinning top, it seemed very clear to me that all the magic in the world was not going to produce what I had asked for, a pram and doll, from your sack.

You stood and asked me what I wanted, and I said “Four wheels, a handle and a hood”, and you delved into your sack and produced a red and white plastic pram. It

did have four wheels, handle and a hood, all five inches of it! And in addition. a nonpliable solid plastic doll to go into the pram. The arms and legs didn’t even move.

Santa, you did bring me the “four wheels, a handle and a hood” that I had asked for, but you must have seen my shock and disappointment, as from nowhere you produced a magnificent three-foot tall porcelain doll with sweeping eyelashes, organza bonnet, satin dress, tulle underwear and beautiful white button boots. But... she had only half a face, the rest was battered. My mother asked you: “Santa, what happened to the doll?” and you replied: “I slipped coming down the chimney, and stood on her face.” So now I had a three foot-plus doll with half a face, and a five inch pram!

You told us to hang our stockings for our sweet surprise and our fruit, and go to bed straight away, and my mother said we would say a prayer for your leg in case you hurt it coming down the chimney.

Next morning, as the children in our neighbourhood all gathered to play outside, my friend came to show me the beautiful grey high pram and doll you brought her, it was “four wheels, a handle and a hood”, the real McCoy.

Santa, it confused me, and I pondered and wondered for years, how you knew what she wanted but you got it so wrong for me.

But Santa, I am not complaining, I played no end with my five inch pram on the table and covered and dressed my little pink stiff doll, and got great enjoyment and loads of play value.

I loved Maggie, the doll with half a face, she was beautiful and I treasured her.

Of all the Christmases since, I think that Christmas was the most memorable, and I want you to know that, even if I looked disappointed, I really wasn’t. Santa. You made Christmas magical by personally calling to us, late that Christmas Eve, and I cherished my doll Maggie long, long after all the other toys were broken, and for that I am truly grateful. Thank you. Love, Irene x

Irene Healy, Ballincollig, Co Cork.