A child’s adorable message to Santa has been discovered perfectly folded in a chimney after being left there more than half a century ago.
The note, from a boy called Robert Crampton, was found by chimney sweeps in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.
In the sooty letter, the five-year-old asked for ‘a cowboy suit and guns and a hat and everything’ – in suspiciously legible handwriting.
Now a retired policeman aged 65, Robert said he did receive what he asked for in spite of the long postal delay.
The Surrey resident said his late dad, a sergeant with the Royal Army Service Corps and also called Robert, wrote the message on his behalf.
Robert, who is married to Mary, told the BBC: ‘I spoke to my mum, and she said, “It must have been your dad’s handwriting because if it was yours you’d probably have got a doll’s house.”
‘[She] reminded me I did in fact get some of the kit – I got a cap gun which was like a cowboy six-shooter and a holster, and I remember getting a sheriff’s badge.’
He said the letter dates back to just before Christmas in 1961.
Robert added his Christmas wish came true, as he worked for Surrey Police for 30 years before retiring in 2013.
‘I always wanted to be the sheriff, and I suppose I was in a way,’ he said.
He hopes he can be reunited with the note so he can give his daughters a memento of his dad who died in 1996.
Written in blue pen, the message is signed off with: ‘See you tomorrow night.’
Cheryl Thorne, 42, who found the letter while working for Sweeps Chimney Services said: ‘It’s quite magical and I love imagining Robert put his letter at the bottom hoping the draught would carry it up and to Santa.
‘Sadly it never got to him. But with the Christmas spirit you never know, and I hope he did receive his gifts.
‘This is the most remarkable thing we’ve ever found while doing this job.
‘I found his request so endearing because most kids today want iPads and things like that so it’s so interesting to get into the mind of a kid back then.’
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