Meet Vic Sleigh, the man born to be Father Christmas!
PROFESSIONAL SANTA HAS APPEARED IN GROTTOES AROUND THE WORLD
WITH a festive name and a bushy white beard, Vic Sleigh was born to play Father Christmas.
The jolly, rosy-cheeked 76-yearold has been donning the red suits, the belt and buckles and boots for more than 30 years.
The role has seen the retired engineer perform in grottos all over the world, and can be quite lucrative.
But it’s Christmas spirit, not cash, that turns Vic into Santa every December.
“It’s always been about the children,” Vic, from Bury, said. “I don’t mean just the ones who visit me in the grotto, but I raise a lot of money for children’s hospices through my work. That means a lot to me.”
Vic grew up in Blackley where he first got ribbed for his unusual surname.
“At school everyone called me ‘Jingle Bells,’ especially around Christmas. But I never thought I would end up playing Santa as a job.
“I’ve always had a beard, but in my forties it went white. Friends then asked me if I would dress up as Father Christmas and visit their kids, and I thought it could be fun.
“With a white beard and a name like Sleigh, I suppose you could say I was born to do it.”
In those early days Vic would hire a red suit and visit five or six families he knew and hand out selection boxes. With his characteristic look and jovial manner Vic started getting more and more in demand. Eventually, he got himself an agent.
Over the years he has appeared in grottoes all over Britain and quite a few abroad, including Germany, Dubai and Lapland.
Vic has rubbed shoulders with a few celebrities in his role, including Peter Kay who he helped turn on Bolton’s Christmas lights in 2003.
Even after three decades of playing the man in red, Vic says he never tires of the experience.
“It’s a magical experience for most of them, which is wonderful to be part of,” he said. “You get the cheeky ones, who grab your beard, then there are the ones who won’t stop screaming as soon at they see you and go into meltdown. But that’s just because it can be overwhelming to come face-to-face with Father Christmas. I get a great reaction from the parents as well, especially when they see what an effort I make.”
Enduring emotionally-charged children, hungry to impart their Christmas gift list, isn’t an easy task.
Sometimes Vic is sat in his grotto for up to five hours.
Over the years Vic has had some very unusual requests for children.
“I remember one little boy who asked for a carpet for his sister’s bedroom – because when she walks on her floorboards she wakes him up. That made me chuckle.
“I’ve had lot of requests for toy guns, like these Nerf guns, as you can imagine, but one little lad was adamant that he wanted a real one. That was quite alarming. And I’ve had my fair share of girls asking for horses and ponies. A popular one that hasn’t gone out of fashion is Lego. Kids still love it after all these years.”
The ‘wish lists’ have changed considerably over the years while Vic has been doing it.
“I had children, so was aware of trends when they were young, and I’ve now got grandchildren so I can keep up to date with the fads. That helps when children are telling me that they want the latest ‘this and that.’”
As you can imagine, a professional Santa like Vic takes it very seriously.
He has two suits, one for the inside made of needle cord and another for the outside jobs. The only thing Vic won’t do is an accent.
“I don’t go in for any of that Brian Blessed ‘ho-ho-ho’ thing,” he said. “I’m happy to use my own voice in my own Manchester accent. It doesn’t seem to matter.”
While December is a busy time, Vic spends the rest of his year relishing his retirement – enjoying caravanning with his wife of 54 years, Brenda, walking, painting or playing dominoes with his pals.
Out of season he still gets the odd double-take. “People do look at me a lot,” he said. “I’ve been told I look like Richard Attenborough’s Santa in Miracle on 34th Street.
“When I tell them my name, most people don’t believe it’s real and find it incredible I have found myself doing a job like this. Well, I call it a job, when you love doing something as much as I do, it’s not work, it’s a pleasure.”