A Children's Christmas Story: Jenny and Father Christmas

[Chris in Prague]

Jenny and Teddy looked out in wonder as soon the 'North Pole Express' was speeding above the English countryside, leaving a trail of snowflakes in its wake. And then, like a comet streaking across the night sky, they arrived in Cornwall. As the train approached Cant Cove, Jenny's heart began to race. She knew that her friends and the children invited to the castle were counting on her to deliver their presents on time. The guard called out, "Final stop: Cant Cove station!"

As soon as the 'North Pole Express' had stopped in the station, to the great astonishment of its stationmaster, Keneder (Ken) Treskerby and his family, the elves loaded the red and green railway goods van onto a special sleigh pulled by all nine reindeer that had just arrived with Santa.

"Hello again, Jenny and Teddy!" called Santa with a broad grin. "Climb aboard, now! We're off to Trevelver Castle! Let's fly Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen! Children are waiting!"


"Hello again, Jenny and Teddy!" called Santa with a broad grin. "Climb aboard, now! We're off to Trevelver Castle! Let's fly Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen! Children are waiting!"

Very soon, the sleigh arrived at Trevelver Castle – a monument of stone filled with ages-old memories. The children were waiting outside, bundled up in their warmest coats and hats. Father Christmas and his elves jumped out of the sleigh, unloaded the red and green railway goods van, opened its doors, and began distributing the presents. The children's faces lit up with joy as they were handed their gifts.

The Red and Green Railway Goods Van stands in the snow



Jenny watched in delight as Father Christmas and his elves worked their magic before returning to the sleigh and back to the North Pole. She felt very grateful for being able to be a part of such a special moment. As the children played with their new toys inside the castle's Great Hall, where a log fire burned warmly, Jenny knew that she had made a difference in their lives.

[Chris in Prague]

Father Christmas on his sleigh pulled by his nine reindeer on their return journey to the North Pole.

[Chris in Prague]

It is December 24th, 1962. There are always two Christmas Eve parties held in Trevelver Castle's Great Hall. The first, from 3 to 6 pm, is for the local children. It is organised by Huw Jenkins, the Head Butler, and his wife, Gwendolyn, the Housekeeper, with the help of Sylvia's beloved old Cornish widowed nanny, 'Nursie', Widow Curnow. Castle staff and the Chelsea Girls, all dressed in Christmas costumes, are the eager helpers. The clowns, jugglers, magicians, and musicians are all enthusiastic, skilful local amateurs known to the organisers.

Outside the ancient stone walls of Trevelver Castle, snowflakes pirouetted in the wintry air. Within the castle's Great Hall, magic unfurled—a place filled with delights for the local children, their eyes wide with anticipation. Candlelight flickered, casting a warm glow on their rosy cheeks.

The hall was adorned with fir garlands entwined with crimson ribbons bearing silver bells which sparkled in the reflected candlelight. The scent of freshly cut pine filled the room. Brightly painted giant wooden nutcrackers stood guard by the entrance, their wooden jaws grinning in perpetual cheer. Twinkling lights danced like captured stars, illuminating ancient tapestries hung on the stone walls. A giant yule log of oak, symbolising the strength and wisdom of the mighty, crackled in the grand carved stone fireplace; its warmth filling the hall.

Laughing happily, the ten 'Chelsea Girls' moved among the children, dressed as festive fairies, giving each child a Christmas cracker to pull. Their costumes shimmered blue, gold, green, red, and silver, and delicate silver tinsel wings sprung from their shoulders. Clowns and jugglers with brightly painted faces beamed as they made the children laugh and gasp as they twirled ribbons and tossed colourful balls. Musicians—fiddlers and pipers—played merry tunes from the minstrels' gallery above, inviting toes to tap.

Games and laughter filled the air. Blindfolded children spun, giggling, aiming for Rudolph's elusive tail in the 'Pin the Tail on the Reindeer' game. Little legs hopped across the stone floor toward the finish line in sack races, sacks moving like miniature sails. In the storytelling corner, 'Nursie' sat on an old wooden chair, weaving tales of Cornish legends and winter magic.

Nursie seated in her storytelling chair.



And what a feast was served! There were sturdy bright red china mugs with gold trim bearing a silhouette of the castle etched in gold, filled with warming mulled apple juice fragrant with cinnamon and cloves. Supervised by the kitchen staff, there were matching red and gold plates of gingerbread men, each child helped to decorate their own with dark currant eyes, white icing buttons and smiles. Giant plates of sticky treacle tarts, in the best Cornish tradition, lined the centre of the trestle tables along with miniature mince pies full of spiced fruit encased in delicate pastry, dusted with powdered sugar. For more adult tastes, there were matching cheese plates filled with Caerphilly, Cheddar, and Double Gloucester, along with local cheeses, Cornish Blue and Yarg, paired with a selection of savoury biscuits, slices of freshly cut crisp apple, and tangy pickles. And, served in the bright red china mugs, seemingly endless quantities of hot chocolate, frothy and topped with whipped Cornish cream.

The bright red china mugs with gold trim bearing a silhouette of the castle etched in gold designed by Eli.



But the greatest individual care lay in the stockings hung by the mighty central fireplace with each child's name stitched with care. Each now filled with surprises and a touch of Christmas enchantment according to a carefully compiled list made by 'Nursie' after speaking with their mothers.

As the sun dipped low on the horizon, the castle staff prepared for the Snowfall Surprise. At precisely 4:15 pm, they released a flurry of paper snowflakes from sacks hung on the shadowy rafters. The delicate cutouts twirled and spun, catching the fading light through the hall's lofty windows. The children gasped; their faces upturned as if trying to catch the falling snowflakes on their tongues.

Then, outside the ancient castle, Christmas arrived with a flourish. The air was crisp, and snow was still falling steadily. Alerted by a trumpeter sounding from a corner tower, the children, once more bundled in their woollen scarves and mittens, were led outside the grand hall, their eyes wide with anticipation.

Outside, Santa Claus, a portly man in crimson robes, together with some of his elves, jumped out of the sleigh pulled by nine reindeer and unloaded a red and green railway goods van, opened its doors, and began distributing the presents it contained. The children's faces lit up with joy as they were handed their gifts. Santa's booming laughter echoed off the castle walls as he moved among the little ones, handing out small parcels wrapped in glistening paper. Each gift held a secret, the child's desire—a wonder that danced in the eyes of the recipients.

Then, returning to the Great Hall, the carols and laughter began. Voices joined in harmony, echoing off the ancient stones. The old carols, sung for generations, filled the room like a warm embrace. The adults and children sang with full-throated abandon, their breath visible in the air furthest from the hearth's warmth.

Then more magic unfolded in the corner, where the Punch and Judy Show came alive—the puppets dancing, bickering, and tumbling in exaggerated delight. The children, now seated on a semi-circle of wooden benches moved from the tables, leaned forward, their laughter ringing out. Judy's high-pitched voice and Punch's clumsy antics filled the hall, erasing any lingering worries or cares.

Within the centuries-old walls, laughter rang out. Then, as the musicians took up their tunes again, children twirled, their eyes alight with wonder, while the laughing adults danced alongside them. Together, they feasted and drank, their bodies warmed by the yule log burning in the flickering hearth.

Belief hung in the air. Child and adult alike, they believed in the enchantment of the season—the hushed secrets shared in whispers, the promise of miracles carried in the frost-kissed air. Their memories, etched like delicate frost on windowpanes, would remain long after the last snowflake had melted. And as the chill winter night settled, the castle itself held its breath, holding their dreams close—a trace of magic in every ancient stone.

[Chris in Prague]

Everyone agreed that Jenny, in her unique costume, looked the best.

[Chris in Prague]

But Sylvia was the most exuberant.

[Chris in Prague]

The rest of the Trevelver Castle Christmas events are continued in a new An Eventful Christmas at Trevelver Castle thread in General.