Santa On Skates

Problem: what can you shoot for your blog when there's been a cold drizzle for a week and the city looks like the outside of a haggis? I look through the weekly "What's On" section of our Thursday newspaper for ideas. There it was, in small print at the bottom of a column: Steinberg Skating Rink, Saturday 1 to 3 PM - Skating with Santa. Bingo. Photographer's treasure.

Santa saw me taking pictures and came over to the rail to pose with this beautiful little girl. I got chatting with her mother and Santa himself. They asked for my card (every photographer needs a couple of sets of Moo Cards, great mini-cards with an assortment of your pictures on one side). When he saw my card, Santa told me his last name was the same as mine - a not unheard of Irish surname but not very common (think of an Australian actor). I asked him his first name. Exactly the same as my father's. Creeped me out. But then I went to a great Hanukkah party last night. It brought me back around.

TOMORROW: Steel Jaws Of Destruction