Even Santa says children are spoiled these days!
UK’s longest-serving Father Christmas hits out at excess
AS BRITAIN’S longestserving santa, he’s asked thousands of children: What do you want for Christmas this year?
and it’s safe to say Ron Horniblew, 82, has heard the answer change dramatically in the 53 years he has worn the red and white suit.
These days he’s more likely to hear youngsters ask for games consoles, tablets and other expensive gadgets than hear requests for a doll or train set.
But Mr Horniblew, who first dressed as santa in 1964 at the age of 29, longs for a return to the ‘old days’ when children received just a few presents and not big, expensive gifts. While he says he still gets the same thrill from making youngsters smile, he feels the hundreds of pounds spent by today’s parents can be excessive.
The pensioner, from Luton, said he felt it was ‘too much’ for children to be given top-of-the-range electronic gifts such as iPads.
He said: ‘I say to parents, if you want a toy for a baby, the best toy is a cardboard box with some paper in it and they will play for hours with it. Plus, they’re using their imagination.
‘How on earth can children play with all these presents? In my days you had one or maybe two presents and that was it.
‘I think we ought to go back to those old days.’ Mr Horniblew is a former champion at the annual santa Winter Games, held in Lapland, which involves challenges including chimney-climbing and sleigh racing. He still puts on the outfit every year, raising money for charity as well as spreading Christmas cheer.
‘If I can make one person happy and smiley, then that’s great,’ said Mr Horniblew, who lives with wife Betty and also works in the furniture business.
‘and you’ll get some people who are a bit miserable and think, “silly old fool”, but I’m the one who’s the clever one because I’m happy and it makes me feel young.’ asked if he was tempted to throw in the sack, he said it was just his ‘old knees’ which held him back, adding that he had ‘no plans at all to retire, no’.
‘I’m going to make it hard for the next person who says he is the longest-running santa.’
While today’s Christmas spending levels are way above those from when Mr Horniblew first put on a white beard, belt-tightening means the current average outlay of around £750 per family has changed little over the past 15 years.