SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN Rent-A-Santa For Your Own Bespoke Visit From Father Christmas

Over 10 years of JollinessLast Christmas Rent-A-Santa celebrated 10 years of bespoke VIP Santa visits culminating in a very special appointment at Kensington Palace with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Father Christmas is back this season and you don’t need to queue in a department store to see him. He will come to your home, office or party and give your family a memorable experience they will cherish forever.

Established in 2009 – Santa is delighted to have been invited back to several luxury clients including Fortnum & Mason, Liberty of London, Soho Farmhouse and Claridge's.

Over the years Santa has attended some very emotional charity visits including Grenfell Tower, Cancer Research, Great Ormond Street and in 2018 The Ultimate Christmas Party for BBC Radio 2 and Children In Need at The O2 with Chris Evans. Santa has appeared at parties and home visits for movie stars, premiership footballers and rock n’ roll legends including Sir Paul McCartney.

Book early to avoid disappointment. Santa will be available for visits during the Christmas season right up until Midnight on New Year’s Eve.

www.rent-a-santa.co.ukFor all enquiries and further information please contact:

07505 080398 or 07956 625179 elf@rent-a-santa.co.uk

/rent-a-santa.co.uk

@rentasanta

@RENTaSANTA

PRESS COVERAGE

When I meet Santa he’s wearing an orange baseball cap and tucking in to scrambled eggs in the self-consciously trendy rooftop café at Shoreditch House in east London. I feel relieved that Santa – or Damian Samuels, as he’s known for 11 months of the year – gave me his number beforehand. I’d felt confident I would be able to pick a professional Father Christmas out from the crowd, but Samuels is only 40, and has salt-and-pepper stubble rather than a long white beard. “The irony is, it’s almost a young man’s game being Santa, because you need the energy and performance,” he says. “It’s really hard work, you sweat profusely, and you’re knackered. When you’re doing a three-hour shift you have to be as jolly at the beginning as you are at the end.” For most of the year, Samuels, like many professionals in this line of work, is an actor. Since setting up his own firm, Rent-a-Santa, five years ago, he has been in charge of a small troupe of Santas, and says he prefers to hire trained actors, who are more convincing than untrained lookalikes. Unsolicited job applications start trickling in from October. “There are a lot of average Santas out there,” he warns. A few weeks ago he held auditions for which he invited candidates to dress up, belt out a convincing “Ho, ho, ho” and read “The Night Before Christmas” to an elf pretending to be a child. “As an actor, you forget that what you say in an audition really sticks and I’ve never been on that side of the table before,” he says. “You can say one thing that really puts people off.” One hopeful lost the gig when he mentioned he suffers from nosebleeds, another when he confessed to swearing a lot. A successful Santa can expect to get some exciting invitations. Samuels’s most memorable experience was performing at Paul McCartney’s Christmas party. “I had Paul McCartney singing ‘Jingle Bells’ at me. One of the Beatles, singing ‘Jingle Bells’ at me! Then McCartney, who I’m a massive fan of, was taking pictures of me. It still freaks me out now,” he says. There are unusual requests, too – the couple who asked for a Santa to bhangra-dance into their Indian wedding, the men keen for him to disturb them as they proposed to their girlfriends, or the parents who ask for Father Christmas to walk past their window to give their kids something to boast about in the playground. When he’s dressed in his finery – a costume made by a tailor who specialises in priests’ cassocks – Samuels feels he’s spreading joy wherever he goes. “If you’re walking in the street as Santa, everyone hoots their horn. Cab drivers wave, bus drivers wave, the coolest kid on the street will wave,” he says.

PHOTOS

TESTIMONIALS

“The delightful team have the best Father Christmas’s around! We have used Rent-a- Santa at numerous events for both corporate and private

clients and they never fail to be jovial, jolly and jubilant bringing their Christmas spirit all the

way from Lapland! Ho Ho Ho”

“A more memorable and enchanting reincarnation of Father Christmas could not be asked for.

He was delightfully jolly and truly captivating for our young audience - a truly splendid

performance”

“The Elf Entertainer and Santa were amazing. Thank you very much. The party was a great

success with lots of very happy (and very tired) children at the end. This was the first kids party

we have done like this and we are looking forward to next year so I will get the date to you ASAP!

Kind regards and happy Christmas”

“They were brilliant! Thanks so much. If I ever have to hire a Santa and an Elf again I know

where to come. Have a fab Christmas.”

“I have to tell you that Santa was truly fantastic and magical. The children were utterly delighted and all chatting about it, the parents were thrilled and one (who has three children

and has seen santas a plenty) was even brought to tears by the loveliness of it all. So many

people said to us that the whole experience put the other Santa visits they had done to shame...

Thanks again and see you next year.”

“Santa was fantastic both times we used him here at Craven Cottage, I received so much

glowing feedback about him and many people said he was the best Santa they had ever

seen!!!! He was a pleasure to work with & we will not hesitate using him again... Thanks

for all your help! Hope you have a super Christmas!”

“Thank you. It went amazingly, everyone said Santa was the best they’d seen, even the parents were thoroughly

impressed. The Elf was great as well. Have a Merry Christmas!”

NATIONAL ELF SERVICE

It’s not just Santa you can hire we also have some wonderful elves to help him out - the very best from The National Elf Service, including our very talented Balloon Twisting Elf.We have fabulous elves that can host your Christmas party at home or in your office and a Wonderful Christmas Party Package full of traditional and Christmas Party Games, Music, Singing, Dancing and even letter writing to Santa himself.

Please ask us about our office party packages to include Santa, party entertaining elf, facepainting and balloon elves and an elf to bring the children to meet Santa in person.

www.rent-a-santa.co.uk07505 080398 or 07956 625179 elf@rent-a-santa.co.uk

CLIENT REVIEWS

www.rent-a-santa.co.uk07505 080398 or 07956 625179 elf@rent-a-santa.co.uk

“I’ve never met a better Santa, anywhere. I was enthralled. I have a picture with him in my house! I look like a giddy 6 year old. Absolutely brilliant team”

“Now that I have a free moment let me tell you that Santa was worth every penny. He was incredible, amazing and hard to believe he was in character from the moment he arrived at the venue. Never in a million years could his performance have been equalled. Thank you so much for your help in making an amazing day even better. Please pass on my compliments to Santa.”

“Thank you so much! That was so magical, the kids are so excited and can’t believe you were actually here. Glad you found us ok and have a lovely Christmas. Thanks again”

“Thank you so much for yesterday, Santa was amazing & it was lovely to see all the kids faces!! Very magical! “

“He was fabulous! Please put me down for next year again.Have a great Christmas and all the best for 2016!”

“He was brilliant and worth the money!! Many thanks for all your help and I hope that you have a lovely Christmas and a very happy new year”

“Hi It was the most amazing visit we could have!!!! We all enjoy it and Santa was amazing. We will definitely do it again!!!! Many thanks”

“Friday went swimmingly, Santa and the Elf were absolutely fab. Everyone had a great time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you”

“Once again nothing but brilliant , just make us all believe in the magic ...thank you so much for coming out to us .... Have a wonderful Christmas”

“I just wanted to say, I first heard about you 4 years ago and have been desperate to book you ever since but never got organised enough to arrange it. I can only say, it was he was well worth the wait and the experience was truly magical. We went to Lapland uk last weekend and the Father Christmas there was woeful compared to the one who came today.It literally couldn’t have been more amazing -He made the children’s years! Wonderful wonderful wonderful, thank you so much xxx”

“Just wanted to say how wonderful Santa and his little helpers were. Santa was so realistic in character even I had to think twice. Balloon elf was awesome, he made some fabulous things with balloons I didn’t think possible, Eva fairy was so talented, I was amazed with the beautiful art work she was creating. Lastly helper elf, she was the glue that held it all together, what a great team you have!So thanks very much, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it!”

“that was the best Santa ever! I couldn’t be more impressed. He was absolutely amazing and exceeded all expectations. I will recommend him at any opportunity for a Santa that comes my way because he made out party!Thank you so much! We will definitely keep you guys in mind for next year!”

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for once again, providing a magical Santa experience for our daughter, Herbie. You really do have the most amazing Santa. She took him a letter, he took the time to open it, read it, and chat to her about it. She came away absolutely buzzing that she had met the real Father Christmas. Thank you”

“Without doubt- the best Father Christmas I’ve EVER seen!!!! He was exceptional. Looked great- wonderful speech & fantastic Ad Libs with the children. It really made the event. I can’t thank you enough x”

“By the way the Father Christmas was the best I’ve ever seen including Harrods - I’m certain he was the real one!”

“I just wanted to drop you a line to extend our thanks for such a wonderful day yesterday. We had a lovely family day and spent all our time exploring Fortnum & Mason. As always the Father Christmas was spectacular, the best I’ve ever seen. The quality of the storytelling experience is exceptional and second to none. My husband and I are keen to make this an annual tradition for our children. We feel very fortunate to be able to show our children such a magical festive experience.With thanks and very best wishes for the festive season”