This poem was written by William Langdon for the Children’s Christmas Treat at the Village Hut in 1924. In the text William mentions every child living in the village.

Christmas is nearly over,

And the puddin’ nearly done,

So now we got a school treat,

And we going to have some fun.

Last Thursday Christmas Morning,

The children danced with glee,

Fred Raison he rose early,

As nimble as a bee.

Old Santa Claus has done his work

And done it nice and tidy,

He gave Ivy Langdon a lot of sweets,

Which she did not eat ‘til Friday.

He made his way from door to door,

Ronald Margetts he was shy,

Sid Hallet he kept laughing,

And Will Greenham nearly cried.

After pausing on a bit,

He came up to Miss Thursa,

The next ones that he visited,

Was Kathleen and Edna Furzer.

So out he walked along the street,

He ought to have had a nice rest,

But in he hopped through the keyhole,

To Howard and Stanley Best.

He went into Dorothy Sealey,

With a parcel tied up nice and neat,

Then said “I’ll go in the next house

With one for Tony Sweet”.

He passed along to Mary Gard,

He even pinched her nose,

But Charlie and Edna Langdon,

Kept peeping from under the clothes.

So on he went still farther,

Enjoying his jumps and prances,

He gave a sigh and went inside,

To look after Gorden Lancey.

He ran up to Reny Hallet,

Which was no easy joke,

But Henry wanted a milking stool

To go and milk Miss Rawles’ goat.

He passed somebody in the street,

And shouted “Goodnight Mister”,

He went along quite happily,

To Joe Masters and his sister.

So out he popped and said “ By Jove!

I’ve still got to go up higher”

He had a little parcel left

For Kathleen and Ronald Shire.

So further down the street he came,

As he only had another,

“I’ll just give this one you see out,

to Cynthia Aldridge and her brother”.

He hurried up and done his work.

And jumped onto his bike,

And rode away to Jericho,

When he soon got out of sight.

We are most grateful to June and Tony Perry for providing this poem and the historic photographs