News and Views from the world of The Gill Payne Partnership Ltd

12/12/2007 - Gary becomes 'Helga' for the Day! - (An alternative Christmas Story)

(More pictures at bottom of page)

Tuesday 4th December 2007, forget sleeping, I can't - I am so excited as I am off to see Santa tomorrow with a plane load of children and us big kids!

Wednesday 5th December 2007, 2:30am - get off sofa, shower and have first breakfast, don boots, grab hat, coat, scarf, gloves and leave at 3:30am. Drive to Grimsby to collect one of the many fantastic helpers and head to Humberside Airport. Once inside, say 'Hello' to a few of the children before mugging the man dressed as a blackcurrant for bags of Haribo and loads of lollies!

Oh lucky me! It was that time of year again and I had been invited to go with the 'Wish Upon a Star' charity who were taking a plane load of sick, very-poorly and disadvantaged children to Lapland to have fun in the snow, eat loads of sausages and meet Santa. I had been once before and was asked to go again and help with the role of capturing a bucket load of photo-memories for the children and their parents.

It is always a real pleasure to do this and being ever grateful that our own children now 25 and 27, had grown up free of any of the challenges that these kids face, I always like to throw myself into it. Today from another recent charity event for the elderly, I was sporting a super red pointed hat with white fluffy ball and some rather cute white plats of hair descending around my ears and so I became 'Helga'.

After a two and a half hour airborne sing song including second breakfasts, we landed and boarded our coaches and off we went to the enchanted forest. Here we spent over 2 hours having fun in the deep crisp snow of the forest illuminated by the low winter sun, riding sleighs pulled by huskies and reindeer, driving skidoos, drinking hot chocolate, toasting marshmallows, having third breakfasts of char-grilled sausages and learning a little Finnish too.

As the low winter light faded, it was back to the coaches and off the Rovaniemi to a hotel for a fantastic Finnish Christmas feast. Just then, one of the children called out, then another and another - they had seen something flash past the window and low and behold, not down the chimney but through the front door came - yes, you guessed it - Rudolf and Santa!

The screams and cheers were deafening, the glints in little eyes was fantastic and brought tears to the eyes of many of us, especially the parents.

So Santa came; he sat with Elf by his side and for an hour, talked to each of the children in turn, took their wishes and gave each a present.

After that, it was back to the coaches to head a little further north of Rovaniemi to the Article Circle and Santa Claus' Village. More ice slides, more eats, more hot drinks, pictures to take astride the arctic circle and post cards to send from Santa’s Post Office.

Oh and all too soon it was over - but not quite!

Back onto the Monarch airplane we went and the fun continued as tiring little eyes demanded to stay open and continue the fun. Then what - more food! Another Christmas dinner was served before touching down back at Humberside Airport at 10:30pm.

Even now, it was still not over for as we worked our way through passport control towards customs, what was that? We could hear music and song for as we entered arrivals we were greeted by choir, almost a choir of Angels you could say! Each child was given yet another huge bag of goodies to take home. Parents were tearful with joy as were all the helpers and myself too and yes, we were exhausted!

So this was why Joanne and Pat from 'Wish Upon a Star' asked Gill and I all that time ago for a few pounds - to make some wishes come true! Well they can have a few more this Christmas too.

Thank you Pat, thank you Joanne, thank you to all the helpers who were there to help the children and parents enjoy their day and thank you, to you our clients for without you choosing us to help you, we couldn't choose to help them.

This year, as for the past few years, we will be donating our Christmas card spend to Wish Upon a Star, Marie Curie Cancer Care in Lincolnshire and the St. Andrew’s Hospice, Grimsby. This means that all you will get from us this year is an email - but hey, not just an ordinary email but a 'Christmas Wish' email to thank you and may all your Christmas's be bright, joyful, full of giving and loving…

Merry Christmas everyone!

The plane to take all the children to Lapland is chartered each year and costs around £60,000 each flight. The Wish Upon a Star charity makes other 'wishes' come true too - all year long. You can help. If you wish to donate, you can make your donation at our 'Just Giving' page, click here to go there! 

(Some of the pictures I took and published here and on our web site on this page are with the permission of 'Wish Upon a Star' and the Parents)

Pictures

"Call that singing!" (that's one the young lad in the middle is saying to me) "Hmm, sausages!" "I want one!" "Parents and Helpers getting the Finnish Supper to the children" "My sister told me a porky pie, he does exist 'cause here he is, sis!"

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Author: Gary Payne, The Gill Payne Partnership Ltd