Christmas wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have plenty of pictures of Santa Claus in the Oxford Mail.
He - and occasionally she - appeared regularly on our pages in the run-up to the festive season, riding on a sleigh through the streets, welcoming children to the grotto and handing out gifts.
He doesn’t appear in Picture 1, but everyone was talking about him at William Fletcher Primary School at Yarnton.
READ AGAIN: Customers queue as new supermarket opens
Sixty pupils aged five to seven had written letters to him asking for gifts in their stockings and some of them are seen opening Christmas cards and thank-you replies from him in 1973.
Kim Donohoe, in Picture 2, is seen greeting Father Christmas when he arrived at Debenhams store in Magdalen Street, Oxford, in a horse and carriage followed by a procession of children in fancy dress in 1977.
Shoppers had a double dose of Santa that day - he also arrived in a horse-drawn carriage at Selfridges store in the Westgate Centre, followed by a pipe band, majorettes and characters from Puss in Boots.
The children of Bicester firefighters in Picture 3 couldn’t wait to get their hands on presents Santa was handing out at their party in 1973.
The Santa in Picture 4 didn’t rely on a sleigh to reach Bladon Primary School, near Woodstock, in 1997 - he chose to arrive by helicopter, giving the children an extra thrill. James Wright, five, is seen receiving his gift.
Mother Christmas (alias 78-year-old Edith Dingle), in Picture 5, brought seasonal cheer to Oxford Covered Market again in 1982.
READ AGAIN: Where to park for Christmas shopping
She had donned her Santa outfit for 12 years to raise money for charity. She is seen with market traders Chris Summerville and Ed Heaton.
Mrs Dingle was the widow of Jimmy Dingle, who is well remembered for carrying an advertising board around the city centre in his top hat and tails.
She always tried to disguise the fact that she was a woman during her time as Santa. “I speak in a very low voice and the children don’t realise,” she told the Oxford Mail.
In Picture 6, it looks as if Santa is going into battle, but it was all part of the celebrations by morris dancers at Headington Quarry in 1966.
They are seen performing a traditional play in front of the Six Bells public house.
As in previous years, the dancers then took their entertainment to three other public houses in the district - the Chequers Inn and the Masons Arms in Quarry and the Crown and Thistle in Old Road.
Read more from this author
This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here