Santa Busby Claus

A Memory of Bradford.

My dad, Teddy Burke, was Santa Claus at Busby's on Manningham Lane. He was certainly popular, since in the 1950s and 1960s the crowds lined the streets when he was due to arrive on his float. When he did appear, he played Christmas carols on his trumpet before making his entrance into the grotto. What few people knew was that Ted was largely responsible for the construction of the grotto before he arrived! Sometimes, in busy periods, he had colleagues timetabled to do a Santa rota with him, and naturally Mother Christmas and Fairy Starlight had their roles to play as well. I was astonished that Santa knew all about me when I went to see him, so I believed in him for a little longer than most kids!