Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 27 December 1924

Father Christmas’s Dash Into Children’s Party

Festivity for Fatherless Bairns

The Mexborough and District Rotary Club performed a pleasant and seasonable function on Friday, when they made a Christmas party for nearly 300 fatherless bairns from the immediate district, principally from Mexborough, Swinton and Denaby Main. The arrangements for this were considerably facilitated by the kindly co-operation of the head teachers in the elementary schools of Mexborough, Swinton and Denaby, the area chosen by the Club for their operations. Lists of fatherless children of school age were supplied from the schools, and the arrangements for bringing a touch of brightness into the lives of these kiddies were carried out by a committee of the Club, under the direction of the President, Dr. J. Forrest Hamilton.

The children were assembled at the Oxford Picture House, Mexborough, on Friday afternoon, where, by the kindness of the Mexborough Electric Theatres Ltd., whose general manager, Mr. J. Woffinden, took a personal interest in the proceedings, a picture entertainment was given to the children. Following this the children were given tea in the Public Hall. Some of the parties were accompanied by teachers, who rendered very useful assistance to the Rotarians.

Three magnificent Christmas trees, kindly given by Mr. Lindley Wood, of Melton Park, had been arranged on the platform, and had been most tastefully decorated and illuminated. This part of the entertainment was held in reserve and curtained off from the hall. The children apparently enjoyed themselves hugely, and did full justice to the meal provided.

The crisis of the evening came at the end of the tea, when the main entrance of the hall was suddenly burst open, and in came Father Christmas, complete with sleigh and bells and dashed through the crowd of startled children up to the platform, waving a cheery greeting to them as he rode along. He was welcomed with ringing cheers when the children had recovered from their momentary surprise.

Arrived at the platform, which was suddenly unveiled, he made a model speech, of which the following is a verbatim report: “A merry Christmas to you boys and girls.” The children returned the greeting with an enthusiasm that was deafening. Then followed the cream of the treat, for the children were marshalled in school parties and passed along the platform, where each received from Father Christmas a present of some value, to which was added a cracker, a bag of sweets, and an orange.

The arrangements worked very smoothly and accurately, and every child present was sent home happy and satisfied. Before the arrival of Father Christmas, Dr. Hamilton addressed the children very shortly and simply, and explained that the Mexborough Rotary Club, which had given the treat, was a body which believed in serving others, and that they, too, in a year or two, would finish school. He hoped that the children would take that thought home with them and would practise unselfishness and thought for others.

Dr. Hamilton conveyed the thanks of the Club to those outside the Club who had given friendly assistance to their little enterprise, mentioning particularly Mr. Woffinden, whose firm had given the picture show, and Mr. Yeardley, the Clerk of the Swinton Education Sub-Committee, who had given assistance by facilitating the early arrival of the children from the Swinton schools. Incidentally, Dr. Hamilton regretted that similar facilities had been refused by the Mexborough Education Authority. He also thanked the teachers for their interest and help, and the members of the Mexborough Ladies’ Club and the wives of Rotarians, for assistance in decoration and in parceling presents.