For three nights at the start of December every year, Hertford Shires Rotary Club brings a touch of magic to the streets of Puckeridge and Standon.
Children flock to greet Santa as he is transported to their streets in his brightly coloured and highly decorated sleigh.
Puckeridge
and Standon
Monday 4th December – Tuesday 5th December – Wednesday 6th December
Between 5:30pm and 7:30pm
Resplendent in traditional robes of red and with bushy beard of white, disbelief is suspended and imaginations sparked as children of all ages come to tell Santa their hopes and desires.
Meanwhile, his team of elves, donning traditional Santa hats – complete with flashing fairy lights – knock on doors to encourage children to take part, to offer them sweet treats as gifts from Santa and to invite adults to donate to charity.
Each year two charities are supported – one local and one national – but all are charities that touch the shared experiences of one and all. With coins jangling in collecting buckets, these are nevertheless 21st Century elves, their card readers making giving almost painless!
Whilst significant sums of money are raised for charity; whilst Rotarian elves enjoy the interactions, the camaraderie and the fun; whilst Santa maintains his jocularity and responds to children’s adoration and to adults’ admiration; the real reward is watching the children’s faces as they respond to the magic – a Christmas gift for us all.
