wytchcroft

[Error: unknown template qotd] Ah the old traditions - (insert spontaneous Topol dancing) well they come and go... and it's always sad to lose a favourite. In the UK there are many traditions that are swept away by the years - progress - fashions - whim - politics or just expense. One such tradition was the annual 'Let's shoot the sh!t out of Santa' that for many years kept Manchester a-giggle.

The Santa in question - a large inflatable chap - suffered years of indignity until being replaced by what can only be described as a Japanese Giant Killer Robot. A killer, if only in the sense that the current needed to power the thing means draining the supply from several other small European cities - that's Mancuians for you, put one down a manhole and you can have free power for a year, if you don't mind never seeing Naupland again.

Personally i miss the first Santa - clinging to the spires of the town hall for dear life like an unhappy King Kong- and quite often to be heard farting air noisily through various bullet holes. Eventually Santa v.01 burst from its hold completely and like a Pink Floyd pig was last scene flying at speed out of the North of England.

Santa v.02 was friendly looking - but it didn't stop him from getting the same gleeful treatment as his predecessor.

Santa v.03 - though it's fun to watch Christmas revellers, hit by the strobe effects, fall into epileptic spasms and psychosis - lacks, oh - i don't know... charm perhaps.

santa no.2 santa clausv.03

Here is a link to the 'official' euphemistic version of the story - note, even the newspaper can barely keep a straight face.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/229/229138_town_hall_santas_last_christmas.html