The Trainspotter's Grotto

Welcome to this wonderful seasonal story, written by Mason Moore. a 20-year-old student journalist who covers the town of Hinckley, Leicestershire with The Hinckley Free Press, a student-led news website which he co-founded.

One of Mason’s many original headlines was picked up by regional and national newspapers in England, and even made it over to The Daily Telegraph in Australia.

In the past, Mason has served as a magazine writer and columnist and worked alongside local newspapers in submitting original photographs and tips for regional journalists.

Here's Part One of his Christmas fictional tale, The Trainspotter's Grotto, which will conclude here on Saturday, December 19th.   

by Mason Moore

​IT WAS the week of Santa Claus' visit to the town of Hinckley and he was preparing for his annual visit to his Amazing Grotto in the town centre.

Santa loved paying a visiting over to the ever-busy town centre as the Christmas cheer really shown in Hinckley like no-other town nearby as Hinckleyans made their best efforts to spread as much festive fun as possible.

Independent coffee shops and cafes would make their own Christmassy hot drinks and mince pies, the tops of the town's shopfronts would be covered in tinsel and whilst the high street was entirely pitch black, the town centre was lit up by the ever-festive Christmas lights which were the only light sources keeping the town bright and alight at night time!

The Christmas tree never failed to impress, decorated with individually handcrafted and homemade ornaments from local children with their parents and nearby schools and youth groups - it was a rather exciting atmosphere for all Hinckleyans and visitors.

Santa Claus looked forward to paying a visit to Hinckley more than any other Leicestershire town centre as the children were ever-so appreciative of all of their presents where he'd meet them inside his Grotto.

The children would meet him in their Christmas jumpers and Santa hats as he inspired them all with his positive attitude and ever-contagious belly laugh as he exclaims "Ho, ho, ho!" and rewards the youngsters for their good manners and being well-behaved by giving them presents every time that he pays a visit.

With it being the weekend with only two days to go before he visited in his Grotto and then two more days before he came down the families' chimneys, he asked the children to work on a list of their most wanted toys so that he knew what to get them this year so that he could grab them from the Grotto and drop it back off to the elves over in the North Pole workshop.

He done this by emailing the local schools, youth groups, and parents. His email read: "Dear all of the boys and girls of Hinckley, I'll be visiting you in just two days in my Grotto where I'll be able to tell you which list you are on - naughty, or nice, although I feel most of you will be on my nice list!

"Please do make a Christmas wishlist of all the toys that you would like this year so that I do know and then give it to me on the day of my visit when I next see you. Ho ho ho!"

The town's youngsters were ecstatic with the news that Santa had emailed them all and wanted to know what they were after this festive season, and from then on, they were glued to television screens and paying trips to the department stores where their lists were getting longer and longer!

An entire day had passed, and the children had their Christmas lists at the ready and there was just one day to go until they met Santa Claus himself.

They had got their sleep and couldn't contain their excitement - you could walk down a street and hear Christmas music playing from miles away! Meanwhile, back at the North Pole, Santa Claus was preparing for his trip over to the town which was just a day away.

All of his reindeer were looking forward to leaving and Mrs. Claus was staying behind with the elves to make sure that the workshop was in tip-top shape so that they could concentrate on making toys all day round.

Now, all Santa Claus had to do was sort out with the big Council bosses whereabouts the Grotto was this year and where his reindeer would be looked after nearby whilst he was handing out his gifts.

He decides to open up the internet and read through a digital copy of the town's newspaper, as he can't pick up the physical copies all the way over from the North Pole, but to his surprise, a nearby railway company had decided that the day that his Grotto would be on they would send their steam locomotive passing through, which only happens once a year.

This wouldn't have proven to be a problem if it was a niche activity, except, it wasn't...it was very, very, very popular and racked up audiences of well over 100 people, in fact when it passed through the year prior in early January, over 350+ attended as Hinckley had the best view for trainspotting in the entirety of Leicestershire.

On the other hand, the head organisers at the railway station had no idea that Santa would be coming through as they were part of a rather large publicly traded London-based firm who even had their own stocks and shares on the London Stock Exchange, and they hadn't clicked with the fact that this would interfere, but Santa had seen what he had seen and was rather shocked by their decision to want to pass through on the day they had chosen and sadly taken it personally.

"Well, well, Mrs. Claus, what have I done wrong? I don't think I have if anything! I reward well-behaved children each year, and they're trying to win the families over instead of letting them see me this year.. Drat. Drat and bother!"

Mrs. Claus replied: "Well, Santa, surely there must have been a mix-up! I'm sure they meant nothing by it to upset you personally, why don't we get the Chief Elf to call the newspaper for the railway bosses phone number?"

"Okay, okay, it's worth a shot, I suppose", Santa exclaimed adamantly. He sat on down with a hot chocolate and mince pie and opened his laptop back up to the virtual newspaper where he whacked in the search bar "EDITOR", and sure enough, the editor's phone number popped up - this would be Santa's best lead to find and locate a contact for this...Out of interest, he even Googled the company, and surprise, surprise, it was the main lead advertisement on their website.

Following Santa's instructions, Head Elf for the Leicestershire area, Jasper, called the Editor of the Tin Hat Journal. "Hello there! I'm Head Elf at the North Pole, I'm calling on behalf of Santa Claus to find out where I could locate a contact number for the railway company."

The Editor, Edward Stockwell, was in shock! He had never heard directly from Santa Claus' team himself as he was a newspaper editor and not a member of Santa's town and events team so this was a pleasant surprise - "Well, I most definitely believe you, but can you please put Santa Claus on the line so I can have definitive confirmation?"

"Speaking! Ho ho ho, in fact, I know exactly where you are, you're on Holliers Walk in a little office and publishing house - I've been past there on my sleigh many a time, you know!"

Mr. Stockwell said: "Well yes, Santa!, oh I do now know it IS you! Please put your head elf on the line again."

Santa proceeded to do so.

Adding further, Edward the Editor asks: "So, may I help? I don't know if I can, but anything for Santa Claus!"

Jasper, Santa's Elf, explained: "Well, only if you'd really like to I suppose, we noticed that in your newspaper that the railway firm are sending their biggest and best steam locomotive through the town's railway station tomorrow, but we've been penned in with the Council for the young Hinckleyans to meet up with Santa Claus in his Grotto - it's even the main advertisement on their website!

"Have you a way of contacting them for us and finding out why they would do such a thing to us during this busy time for us?"

Edward replied: "Well, one would assume no malicious intent was made by them and this just happens to be a mere coincidence - they're not even advertising the fact it is passing through as a Christmas steam or anything of the likes, so I do really just think the timing matches up rather unfortunately.

“But, what I will do is arrange for their head boss to call me - I'll email them now and let them know what's going on, and hopefully we'll be able to resolve this situation.

"I am really sorry that you have taken this to heart though, and anyway, tomorrow evening at 6pm our newspaper gets printed ready to make its way to the shop shelves...I can interview Santa Claus when he come on over - how about that?"

Jasper explains to Santa Claus, who has since calmed down over his hot drink and agreed to do so.

"Ah, brilliant! I'll let you know of any updates first thing tomorrow morning! Just meet me at that Grotto, and I'll sort myself a press pass to get early access to find out exactly what is going on.

"Goodbye for now and have a good evening!"

Back in Hinckley, Edward done some social media research in the local community groups, and the children could not wait to give Santa Claus their lists and meet him tomorrow.

Luckily for Santa Claus, the residents hadn't even noticed that the dates had clashed and the newspaper hadn't even mentioned it explicitly, they had just mentioned that the event happened to be happening on the same day.

Sticking true to his word, Edward placed an email to the head boss of the railway company, Lord Farley, asking for a phone call - half an hour later he had successfully heard back from Farley, and had agreed to do so - he was a rather upper-class man and was granted the title of 'Lord' as he was given that title for his works in the city of London, where his company mainly operated, despite sending freights, commuters, and loco' trains out to town stations.

Edward picked up the phone and dialled in the number from the email: "Hello? I'm a newspaper editor in Hinckley with the Tin Hat Journal - I've just got off a phone call with the North Pole.

"There's been a bit of a miscommunication at North Pole HQ over Santa Claus' trip to the town of Hinckley tomorrow, you see."

"Oh! Hello! How so?", chimed in Farley, happy, but rather confused.

"Well, do you happen to oversee your company's localised steam loco town trips at all, or work with the town in any way?", asked Edward, looking to get to the source of the dilemma.

"Why no, we just selected the few free dates on the calendar we could do so when passenger and commuter trains weren't passing through as commonly, I've little to no involvement on that front. Please may you care to explain further upon the problem in question? I do hope I can help you!", the big railway
businessman and boss replied, and was happy to try and help out.

"What has happened is your company have booked on the same day that Santa will be coming to his Grotto, but luckily, nobody has noticed this.

“Now, it'd be unfair to ask either party to cancel, and we wouldn't want the townspeople and youngsters not to meet Father Christmas would we?

“Can we settle on a deal here to try and fix this?", the newspaper editor asked hoping he would be positive.

Farley said: "Oh absolutely! Yes, yes, anything for Father Christmas of course. In fact, where is the Grotto set to be?"

Edward replied: "Well, erm, in an old cafe that was going to be renovated, it sounds like it is starting to be decorated..."

"Fear not - you just make sure them decorations can come on down, and I'll make sure that the loco' stops on the tracks for an hour and a half, I'm looking at the calendar, and you will not believe me if I tell you, but the schedule has freed up as a few passenger trains can't pass through as Narborough and Leicester are closing their passenger services for Christmas!

"That way, you can have your front page, although I must be interviewed to show people I helped Santa Claus, and then we're happy by staying on the railway lines - can you call me back in half an hour to see if this is something you want to take up?"

Edward replied: "Most certainly, I'll call the event organisers and Santa Claus now. Tata for now."

"Jolly well, tata for now then!", the phone hung up and Edward has secured himself a new front page story for tomorrow's edition, with not just Santa Claus, but a head transport boss.
​

• Mason Moore's Christmas tale, The Trainspotter's Grotto, concludes here on Saturday, December 19th