He’s been delighting visitors to Aberdeen’s Christmas Village since the market opened for the festive season.
And the Granite City’s very own unofficial Santa Claus hails from Northfield instead of the North Pole.
But the amateur Father Christmas says he dresses up to bring joy to faces in and around Aberdeen city centre.
Santa, whose real name remains a secret, is aged 77 and has been doing it for the past 24 years.
In an interview with The P&J, he says he “likes doing it” and got into it after being asked to dress up as the man in red for the elderly people at the now closed James Tyrrell Centre in Mastrick.
As well as being Santa, the former builder, paper mill worker and council employee, used to volunteer by driving the minibus at the centre.
His very first Santa outfit was bought from Woolworths, although he admits that he “doesn’t know where it is”.
Aberdeen’s Mr Claus’ white beard is in good shape for his alter ego, and he reveals that he has not shaved since “having a trim” on Boxing Day last year.
With the Granite City lit up for the festivities and the Christmas Village in full swing, Santa admits he likes to “hang about” the area.
“The kids’ faces, I’m addicted to that,” he confesses and when asked if would he do it for money, he bluntly says “no” and has donated to charity when this has happened in the past.
He adds: “I have given it (donations from the public) to a bairn at a bus stop before.”
‘I never see the lights, I’m too busy with everybody getting photographs’
Just yesterday, he was asked to surprise a young boy ice skating at the village’s ice rink and describing what the youngster’s reaction was, the Northfield resident says: “His face was like Santa knew him.”
Santa was pictured at the Christmas lights switch on in Aberdeen on Sunday, but he confesses: “I never see the lights, I’m too busy with everybody getting photographs.”
Even though there are other claimants to being “Santa” in the Granite City, the 77-year-old says: “I’m just one, but they can’t go past me.”
“They can’t say anything because they are just in awe and so shocked, they hardly want to speak to me.”
It is partly this reason that he expresses his dislike for Santa’s Grottos and says that he prefers the “camaraderie with children” of being out in the open.
The Santa also likes when people comes up to him and ask for photos.
Aberdeen Santa’s fanbase
He even admits to photobombing a “couple of weddings” outside Marischal College and recently jumped in a selfie amongst a group of men.
In December, the secret Santa will dress up as Father Christmas at Northfield Community Centre for their festive lunch.
This will be good news to locals, as he has quite a fanbase in his local community, especially amongst children and teenagers.
“It’s not really a nickname, but they just recognise me as Santa,” he says.
Even amongst the area’s elderly community he has a following, with one man recently shouting at him: “Are you doing Santa this year?”
Northfield’s Father Christmas responded in a “capering” way by saying “no”, with the man responding bluntly “why not?”.
‘Humbugs’
Some people do not like to see Santa’s presence, especially if they have been badly behaved, and when Aberdeen’s man in red was in town yesterday, three people said to him “your too early”.
But he describes them as “Humbugs”, adding: “I never argue with them.”
And as another Christmas approaches, it is quite clear that Aberdeen’s secret Santa is not giving up his crown just yet.
Conversation