As all children know, Father Christmas, Santa Claus or Old Saint Nicholas, as he is sometimes called, has to make many thousands of visits on Christmas Eve.
He has so many calls to make, in fact, that he puts in quite a lot of his annual duty prior to Christmas.

Many have seen him walking along Watford High Street this week, while a photographer at his side was taking pictures; others saw him in one of the town’s stores; and he has certainly been busy making early calls on groups of children.

It was at one of these calls on Wednesday that Santa lost his beard.

Having left Toyland he was on his way to the Bushey Day Nursery where the children were holding a Christmas Party in his honour when he saw the Matron, Miss G Butler, and told her that he had lost his beard.

In order that the children should not be disappointed a messenger was quickly sent to Santa’s local headquarters at Watford and within a few minutes Santa, completely dressed (beard and all) was in a fit state to bring the children Christmas gifts.

Footnote: Interviewed after the visit, Santa said he calculated the disappearance of his beard may have been caused through singeing when a jet plane passed close to him. “There are more jets about this year than ever before,” he said.

[From the Watford Observer of December 21, 1951]