Dear Santa

I am getting old and quite grumpy, can I really remember if I believed in Santa Claus all those years ago.

Christmas will be in a couple of days, we need to select and cut a tree and prepare decorations. Come on Pam we will look down along the creek.

What is all this excitement about Christmas, who thinks it means anything anyway, I wish it would just pass and leave me out of it.

Come on we have to clean the Bunkhouse out, that nice little pine tree we found a down by the flat is just right for the Bunkhouse, we will put it near the window.

Young people appear to be having fun preparing for Christmas, look at what they are buying

Grandma has bought some coloured paper, we will soon be making decorations. We will cut the crepe paper into strips and twist them as we hang them up. I want to fold two colours together they always look nice that way.

The houses do look nice all decorated for Christmas, I quess it does not really cost all that much for the fancy lights.

Santa will leave presents under the tree in the Bunkhouse and a special one beside my bed

Did I actually write to Santa Claus and did my mother post it.

I do hope that Santa Claus got my letter

" 14 December 1951

Dear Santa,

I am Lindsay, I live at 88 Congewai Street, Aberdare. Aberdare is part of Cessnock but you already know that don't you. I have been a good boy most of the time so I am wondering if you could possibly bring me a tricycle. I have learned to ride a very old one. It was my Uncle's when he was a little boy but it is old and rusty and the tyres are worn out.

A new tricycle will make me very happy and I will be even happier if you could bring me a little toy lorry as my Dad drives a lorry. I am very pleased when I am able to go with him in the lorry to delivery bags of wheat and corn.

Oh I almost forgot, I will be sleeping at Grandma's place on Christmas Eve as we always go to Grandma's for Christmas. Grandma lives up the mountain at Pokolbin, you must know where that is because everyone knows where Grandma lives.

I will be sleeping in the Boy's room, that is the first room up the hall on the left. The Christmas Tree will be in the Bunkhouse. The Bunkhouse does not have a chimney anymore because Grandfather took the fireplace out when they built the new kitchen. You will have to use the door or the window but the window is not very big. No one sleeps in the Bunkhouse anymore either as there is plenty of room in the house now that my uncles are married and don't live there anymore but Mum told me the boys who worked on the farm all slept there.

I hope that you can bring these presents for me, I will be very happy.

Thanks, Lindsay"

Christmas is a good time of year, people do enjoy themselves and children believe in Santa even when they know he cannot possibly exist or do all those things.

I had better put the bucket of water and the carrots out for the reindeers and mustn't forget the beer, chips and cheese for Santa. Dad have you got a bottle of beer that I can put out for Santa?