Santa spins a festive tale from the 60s as KCOM unearths vintage tapes
Brother and sister remember meeting Father Christmas in 1963
In 1952 something magical happened in Hull at Christmas.
KCOM, then known at the Hull Corporation Telephone Department, launched its first Call Father Christmas phone line where youngsters were able to ring Santa and listen to a festive tale.
It was the first of its kind in the country and an instant smash hit.
In its first year the service attracted 20,000 callers with that number growing to a whopping 35,000 the following year.
Now, some recently unearthed archive tapes have rediscovered Father Christmas’s message from 1963 which includes some Yuletide rhyming from Saint Nick, a spot of advice for youngsters on crossing the road and some musical interludes from Hull’s Swinging Sixties beat combo Barry and the Mustangs.
To celebrate the season of goodwill in retro-style we’re relaunching 1963’s three-part Call Father Christmas recordings this year; revealing one each night from Friday, December 22, until Christmas Eve.
So get ready to wallow in some nativity nostalgia as we hark back to another era when thousands of youngsters would dial Hull 211 211 to listen to Santa spin a bedtime tale.