Father Christmas tells all

TWELVE custom-made Father Christmas suits and 58-years later, Ray Peyters buckles up his boots and straightens his beard to spread festive cheer and goodwill across the City every December.

‘Father Christmas’ takes a trip down memory lane beginning in 1957 in a ‘tell all’ exclusive with the Zululand Observer sharing some of his most dramatic and frightening experiences.

‘It has been a great treat for me to dress up every year and dance around with the little ones. I have lived some of my best moments in the suit, many of them very unforgettable.’ Ray said.

Ray recalls the most infuriating moment which involved a set of twins.

‘I had two watches for them and someone pinched one. When it came to handing out the presents, I had to grab my extra watch I had in my car. It took great convincing to have a little girl wear a men’s watch.

‘Afterwards, I threatened every person in the room to hand over the little pink watch if they had stolen it and before you knew it, I was strapping it onto the little one’s wrist.

‘That must have been the first and only time Father Christmas got angry!’ Ray said.

Balls for all

Over the years, Ray has used various modes of transport. Ranging from the smartest street cars, fire engine trucks, donkey carts, sleighs, boats, helicopters and the Zululand special – a wheelbarrow!

His most frightening experience was speeding across the Richards Bay high tide after the motor of the boat he was travelling in would not start.

Out of many great moments, Ray’s ultimate reward was the help he received from Pick ‘n Pay former Chairman Raymond Ackerman.

‘Pick ‘n Pay had just opened in Zululand and I was in need of five soccer balls as part of the gifts I was collecting for the little ones.

‘I decided to write to Raymond Ackerman requesting his assistance in donating the balls. Not long thereafter I received a call from the store warehouse in Richards Bay instructing me to collect my parcel.

‘Upon arrival, there was a whole warehouse filled with soccer balls! The mayor at the time arranged a convoy of minibus taxis to help load and transport the hundreds of balls to KwaDlangezwa where I distributed them.’ Ray said.

And in the spirit of putting Christ back into Christmas, Ray recalls a little girl once asking him in the sweetest voice if he as Father Christmas, loved Jesus.

‘She touched my heart. I told her I could not begin to explain how much I loved Jesus, or her and all the other children in the world.’ he said.

Oompaloompa Early Learning Center Owner Kathleen Wiborg said Ray has dressed up as Father Christmas for several years and the children at the school love him to bits.

‘He dances with our kids, tells a different entertaining story every time we see him and then hands out the prezzies for us. He is always so jolly and loving, everything that Santa should be,’ Kathleen said.