WORD was out that Santa Claus was coming to town (well, village) on Saturday and, sure enough, a big red Father Christmas rolled into Byfleet – in a big red 1949 bus.
It was fun and frolics from then on when pass-engers piled on board to take a pew with a view and a trip round the village with jolly Saint Nick and a mysterious guest – Top Gear’s The Stig.
Woking Mayor Anne Roberts and Councillor Dorothy Farrant also climbed aboard, along with 30 villagers who waved from the windows.
The silent Stig opened the fayre – which was organised by the trustees of the village hall, led by Kate Gill – by ringing a bell, alongside Rebecca Ward in fetching reindeer antlers, Cllr Roberts and, of course, Santa himself.
One person conspicuous by his absence was resident Godrey Chapples, but word has it the residents’ association chairman had sackloads of work to do.
Inside the village hall were gift and craft stalls galore selling an array of goodies and delights, along with many tombola prizes to raise money for good causes.
Cllr Roberts pitched in, making sure the grown-ups had their tickets, including the vicar of St Mary’s Church, the Reverend John McCabe (right).
Members of the Byfleet Heritage Society, Tessa Westlake, Jeff Sechiari, and Jim Allen manned a stand selling their 2014 ‘Byfleet then and now’ calendar, while volunteers from Byfleet Community Library, Beryl Marlow, Lynden England and Margery Babb, dished up delicious cakes that went down a treat.
Jean Smith, Helen Wilkinson, Margaret Francis, Libby Punter and Rita Freeman of the Byfleet Amenities Group ran a tombola to raise funds for the village Christmas lights. Meanwhile, Tina Stephens sold homemade jams and pickled onions in aid of Woking Hospice, and young Daniella Sher set up shop to raise cash for a trip to Camp Cambodia next year to help children.
The bus was lent by the London Bus Museum at Brooklands.