How Santa School prepares Father Christmases for magical moments

Each twelvemonth dozens of prospective Father Christmases be Santa School successful Somerset House. (Image: Jeff Moore)

Reindeer Names 101 and an Introduction to Ho Ho Hos are connected the syllabus of an antithetic festive course.

Each twelvemonth dozens of prospective Father Christmases be Santa School successful Somerset House, London.

There, they are trained for jolly vacation enactment successful grottos from Bognor Regis to the fashionable West End.

The Santas, who are, of course, conscionable stand-ins for the existent thing, are dressed successful £2,000 suits and beards, fixed tutorials connected however to person the twinkliest eyes, taught however to execute his trademark booming Ho Ho Ho, and are shown the astir up-to-date toys each year.

They besides person to navigate tricky questions, cognize what acquisition the kid has asked for successful their letter, and support the magic of Christmas .

Chief Santa trainer James Lovell, who has been giving lessons since the 1990s and runs the people done his institution FeeJee Mermaid, said: "Being Santa is specified a privilege. It's a truly important job.

Chief Santa trainer James Lovell, who has been giving lessons since the 1990s. (Image: Jeff Moore)

Santas are trained for jolly vacation enactment successful grottos from Bognor Regis to the fashionable West End. (Image: Jeff Moore)

"If you messiness up Father Christmas you are, successful galore ways, ruining a portion of a childhood.

"I tin retrieve the archetypal clip I met Santa was a beauteous thing, and everyone should person a representation similar that from their childhood.

"I started arsenic an elf successful the 1990s and radical were queuing for much than 2 hours, and I thought 'If I queued that agelong I would privation thing beauteous spectacular', truthful I started the schoolhouse to bash conscionable that."

With much than 500 bookings already - and rising - the Father Christmases are definite to beryllium busy. But James says it is not a occupation everyone tin do. "You person to beryllium patient, beryllium capable to beryllium relentlessly jolly and, of course, emotion children.

"You request to beryllium capable to represent the relation successful a mode that is convincing for a kid - and for actors, it's precise uncommon to person an assemblage of 1 lasting astir 2ft distant from you."