Town hall was turned into Santa's festive toy factory

IT looked as if Santa Claus had packed up his toy factory at the North Pole in December 1983 and transferred to Melbourne Hall's craft centre.

- By STEPHEN SINFIELD

Deep in the grotto, men with bright red noses and funny hats worked feverishly at a variety of bright wooden playthings while Father Christmas bumbled merrily around.

However, all was not quite as it seemed as this was not Santa's real workshop but a woodworking business showing off its wares.