Santa is coming to town
Santa Claus, otherwise known as Father Christmas, apparently lives, not in the North Pole, but in Wetland Centre in Barnes, southwest London. As to be expected, he's very busy this time of year.
"Part of being a child is believing in magic," says the rotund figure who appears on sightseeing cruise boats on the River Thames too. "Father Christmas is part of that."
Photographs by Stefan Wermuth of Reuters
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Actor John Field removes his shirt to get dressed as Santa Claus before a performance on a City Cruises boat on the River Thames in London, Nov. 28, 2015.
Field, 66, a former teacher turned actor, has taken on the role of Santa for the past 12 years. "I'm playing a part but it is one of the most truthful parts I can play," he says.
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Field brushes his beard as he dresses as Santa Claus before an appearance.
His beard is the real thing, not to be tugged at by the sceptics.
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Field poses for a photograph at a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre in west London, Dec. 5, 2015.
"Being a Father Christmas you have to make an agreement, a non-written agreement with both the parent and the child: to believe," according to Field.
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Field is silhouetted against the sky on a City Cruises boat on the River Thames, Nov. 28, 2015.
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Field takes a lunch break at the Wetland Centre in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
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Field waits before a performance on a City Cruises boat, Nov. 28, 2015.
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Field, dressed as Santa Claus, guides staff members on the boat cruise, Nov. 28, 2015.
When Father Christmas is not at home with the reindeer preparing for his big sleigh-ride, he likes to play practical jokes on the children who visit him asking for presents.
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Field, dressed as Santa Claus, reads to children in London, Nov. 28, 2015.
More than 2,000 children visit him in London locations alone. "Talk to them like (you talk) to grownups... Never look down on them," Father Christmas says.
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Four-year-old Aarshika Kokulam (L) and her one-year-old brother Prithika pose for a photograph with Field, dressed as Santa Claus, during a City Cruises boat tour, Nov. 28, 2015.
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Field is seen through a Christmas tree in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
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A girl tries to see Father Christmas at the Wetland Centre in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
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Field, dressed as Santa Claus, reads a Christmas wish list at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 6, 2015.
Amid the excitement as Christmas approaches, Santa is often run off his feet and needs help sorting through all the letters he receives. Britain's Royal Mail, which helps him process the wish-lists, says Lego, bikes and Play-Doh were the top three requests from children who wrote to Santa.
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Six-month-old Cleo Matheson kisses Field, dressed as Santa Claus, at a Christmas grotto at a dental practice in north London, Dec.12, 2015.
Santa's job is not without its dangers, but after more than a decade of welcoming children, Santa says it's rare for anyone to be sick or fail to make it to the bathroom on time.
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Field, dressed as Santa Claus, holds six-year-old Jack at a grotto at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
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Parents and their children queue to meet Santa Claus at the Wetland Centre in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
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Two-year-old Elijah Pham presents his wishes to Santa Claus at a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
He offers a listening ear, and a mischievous wit. When one boy asks for a remote-controlled scorpion, Santa asks whether he might prefer a pink ballet dress instead.
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Lana Lecash, 21-months old, reacts during a visit to meet Field, dressed as Santa Claus, at a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
The rewards of the job, chief among them thank-you messages, more than outweigh any downsides.
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Field, rests between performances during a lunch break on a City Cruises boat on the River Thames, Nov. 28, 2015.
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(L-R) Five-year-old Cian McKenna waits with his siblings Sophie and Esme to meet Santa Clau at a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
The most wished-for gift this year is a hoverboard for boys and a Barbie doll for girls, Father Christmas says.
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Two-year-old Eliza and her four-year-old brother James pose for a picture with Santa Claus at a Christmas grotto in London, Dec. 5, 2015.
He tells one girl he has wrapped up a tin of cat food for her, before the real presents arrive - a bird book, a toy duck and a candy stick.
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Parents take pictures of their children as they pose with Field, as Santa Claus, at a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
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Field, dressed as Santa Claus, poses for a photograph inside a Christmas grotto at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
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A girl watches as actor Field, dressed as Santa Claus, walks past at the Wetland Centre, Dec. 5, 2015.
Last year a girl made a poster with photos of her visits over the last seven years. "Father Christmas," she wrote, "thank you for being there every year for me. You make Christmas."