Welcome to Episode 31 of Nooks and Crannies!

Henley Santa is Coming to Town, W/Out Glittery Reindeer Relish!!

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Deck the Halls, grab your Santy Hat and Scotch, it’s the Holiday Season here at Nooks and Crannies, and who better to talk to than the Right Jolly Old Elf Himself!

Professional Father Christmas, Henley Santa! Who is Joining us from the other-side of the pond!

Mike and Matty kick things off by hearing how Mike became Henley Santa and why he chose such a posh, up-market name, and how these fateful choices has lead to a vibrant post-retirement career which leaves room for volunteering and basically a lot of “good fun”

Matty then steers the chat towards professionalism and the industry, including working conditions, how to interact with children and adults with various chronic ailments or challenges *super interesting side convo on ASL/BSL and Makaton, and ways to be empathetic by “staying in character” asking yourself: would Santa do this?

Then I had to ask: what do you do when a ‘snot-nosed little *kid*’ tries to trip you up with tough questions to impress (lets be honest) HIS buddies :) Henley Santa has a tonne of insights in this regard, including his views on what makes a “Bad Santa”

The Ministry of Fun is Henley Santa’s booking agency, first off, great name eh? Its like you are not allowed by law to not have fun just so long as you follow the outlined regulations and procedures. ANYWAY, they also have a Santa school that has been written about and just seems like a lot of fun!

We also talk about Henley Santa’s Publishing efforts, including a quick retelling of his version of the Gingerbread Man story and why we should not leave Glitter Laced granola out for reindeer! Partial proceeds from the sale of his books go to support a local youth who is undergoing extreme cancer treatments, link to the FB page and ways to help below.

We end the conversation on a very serious, but we both think, crucially important point: What happens when a child discloses serious neglect or abuse? What is your role or responsibilities in this regard and is there any training aside from a Criminal Background Check that is provided to Santa’s who may encounter vulnerable populations. Phew, tough but compelling

Ho, Ho, Oh, did you think we were done?? Nah buddy, hit subscribe because a few days before Christmas, we will release the last portion of this chat where Matty turns the tables, reverts to wee lil Mamoo and absolutely GRILLS Santa with all the tough unanswered/unanswerable questions I had for him from Childhood, including: why did my sister get gifts despite being perpetually naughty, why did you not slam those beers I left out for you, how you get around the world so fast, and of course: are you like a reverse immortal, aged till 65 then retired from aging or something? AND, appalling Elfish Working Conditions!

Love and Miss you Mom, I know this was one that you were looking forward to hearing, and I know you are listening from afar. Aren’t We Lucky!

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LINKS:

Thanks again for the audio tidy Derek from Rolling Misadventures: https://rollingmisadventures.podbean.com/

Henley Santa’s Books: https://www.amazon.com/Henley-Santa/e/B07Z9JLPX1/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Partial Proceeds from the Books to support: Stand up to Cancer: Charlie’s Page https://www.facebook.com/charlieilsleyUK/

Santa and the Gingerbread Man w/Voice-Over work from one of his grandchildren :) https://youtu.be/VclLmY7WiOg

Henley Santa’s Buzzfeed/Amazon UK Ad:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPdG2vAAeM

Santa School, Ministry of Fun, Class of 2018: http://www.ministryoffun.net/santa-school-class-of-2018/

Telegraph Article on the school and incoming class of 2019: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11298848/Santa-school-my-gruelling-training-to-become-Father-Christmas.html

Berkshire Vision: one of the many charities that Henley Santa has volunteered at.. https://berkshirevision.org.uk/

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Graphics by Donna Hume

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Music Attribution:

Cullah - "Neurosis of the Liver" on "Cullah The Wild" https://www.cullah.com/discography/cullah-the-wild/neurosis-of-the-liver Under license (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Lena Orsa – “A Christmas Tale” (Intro); Volume adjusted and fades applied https://freesound.org/people/lena_orsa/sounds/414673/

Under license (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Lena Orsa – “Magic Christmas” (Outro); Volume adjusted and fades applied 

https://freesound.org/people/lena_orsa/sounds/442791/ 

Under license (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0