When you think of Father Christmas travelling the world and delivering presents to bring festive cheer to millions, he is usually pictured riding in his sleigh pulled through the sky by his reindeer.
However when he made his much-anticipated arrival on Ipswich’s Waterfront yesterday evening, Santa was using a slightly different mode of transport.
Reindeer Dasher, Prancer, Blitzen and their stablemates were all given the night off because Santa instead decided to travel to Old Custom House on a historic barge.
And that wasn’t where the changes from tradition ended, as Father Christmas climbed aboard an old fire engine which transported him to his next destination.
That was at Giles Circus where he took up residence in his grotto for the rest of the evening.
There he met people visiting the town for its first late-night shopping event.
Santa also visited the Christmas Market in Queen Stree.
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 The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.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