An intergalactic journey for children visiting Santa Claus at Switzers department store in Dublin.
No ordinary Santa experience awaits children and their parents in Switzers of Grafton Street. Entering via a futuristic portal, visitors travel through the darkness of space past distant planets and friendly alien life forms.
Santa Claus meets and greets children who chat and tell him what they would like for Christmas. Nessa aged five and a half would like a bicycle and a doll. One of her younger brothers who is four and a half asks for a train set and a police toy.
Children in Dublin city centre describe what they wrote in their letters to Santa. Tiny Tears dolls are a popular choice, as are dolls' houses, toy ironing boards, racing cars, train sets, football gear, guns and holsters.
How does Santa arrive at your house, and how does he get in?
With his sleigh...down the chimney.
He comes on his reindeers.
Mam says that she'll leave the window open for him.
An aeroplane.
And Santa can look forward to a variety of snacks and drinks when he delivers toys to children in Ireland this Christmas. They know what they will leave out for him,
A bottle of Guinness and a few biscuits.
Lemonade!
Milk and biscuits.
Christmas pudding and a bottle of Guinness.
This report for 'Ireland's Eye’ was broadcast on 24 December 1980.
