It is paradoxical that, to deal with the queues to the grotto, Bentalls is cutting down the hours and days when Father Christmas is available.
In the first of my 13 years as Father Christmas we experienced long queues at certain times of the day.
To deal with this, in subsequent seasons, the grotto was built with two throne rooms. The two entrances were closed off by a single door, acting like a valve.
When the queue began to lengthen, the off-duty Father Christmas would man the second throne. A young saleswoman would be taken off the till, and promoted to Door Elf.
Ushering groups of visitors through alternate doors, she would distract them with Yuletide small talk - so they were unaware that another Father Christmas was operating the other side of a richly decorated sheet of hardboard.
IAIN INNES BURGESS
Cedars Road, Hampton Wick
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article