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Does anyone have a favourite Christmas tale or book that they had when young? (I mean apart from the usual Bibical nativity stories).
Mine was called 'The Perfect Present', and I still trasure it to this day. Early on Christmas morning, Santa is heading home after making his final deliveries in London, when he passes a London Transport bus depot with a single very miserable Routemaster inside. The bus tells him that it gets no Christmas fun at all after working so hard all the rest of the year round, but Santa has the perfect solution. Stabling his reindeer in the bus depot, he jumps into the bus's driving seat, drives it out and- WOW- before long it takes to the air and they're flying over London! The bus comments that it'd be good if all the other vehicles who are out on Christmas Day could do the same, so that'e exactly what happens- before long they have two milk floats and a policeman on a bicycle in tow. From then on, it's 'Peter Pan' meets 'Convoy'- everything on wheels discovers it can fly and takes off to join the aerial procession, taxis, cars, a gang of Hells Angels, Chelsea pensioners in wheelchairs, children in wheeled hospital beds, a flock of priests on cycles, and just about everything else you can think of!! The ending is the best- they all circle the lights of Battersea Funfair before landing in Trafalgar Square for hot punch and mince pies.
It was first published in '69 (when else?!) and I couldn't be read it enough when I was a child. It's a lovely, magical tale that I plan to introduce my little nephew to when he's old enough.
Mine was called 'The Perfect Present', and I still trasure it to this day. Early on Christmas morning, Santa is heading home after making his final deliveries in London, when he passes a London Transport bus depot with a single very miserable Routemaster inside. The bus tells him that it gets no Christmas fun at all after working so hard all the rest of the year round, but Santa has the perfect solution. Stabling his reindeer in the bus depot, he jumps into the bus's driving seat, drives it out and- WOW- before long it takes to the air and they're flying over London! The bus comments that it'd be good if all the other vehicles who are out on Christmas Day could do the same, so that'e exactly what happens- before long they have two milk floats and a policeman on a bicycle in tow. From then on, it's 'Peter Pan' meets 'Convoy'- everything on wheels discovers it can fly and takes off to join the aerial procession, taxis, cars, a gang of Hells Angels, Chelsea pensioners in wheelchairs, children in wheeled hospital beds, a flock of priests on cycles, and just about everything else you can think of!! The ending is the best- they all circle the lights of Battersea Funfair before landing in Trafalgar Square for hot punch and mince pies.
It was first published in '69 (when else?!) and I couldn't be read it enough when I was a child. It's a lovely, magical tale that I plan to introduce my little nephew to when he's old enough.
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