CLAUS FOR CELEBRATION

[AussieMark]

Claus for celebration

IF Santa ever wanted to relocate from the North Pole, he would be right at home at Alison Holloway's place in Greystanes.

Her house is filled with countless Christmas decorations – including 500 Santas – that she has lovingly collected over the past 20 years.

These are no ordinary ornaments with Georg Jensen, Christofle and Royal Copenhagen just some of the designers behind the items in her valuable collection.

Mrs Holloway said her prized possessions came from all over the globe, some of which she had hand-picked from German and Austrian markets.

"My husband Brian gave me a nutcracker when he came back from New Zealand. People go travelling around the world and they bring me home a Santa. Some even make them for me so I have a wonderful mixed collection," she said.

However, Mrs Holloway has a particular soft spot for old Santas.

"I keep my eyes open for them. I'm slowly building up a collection of Santas from the 1920s and '30s. I have wind-up ones that I've fixed up but generally they're in pretty good nick," she said.

Mrs Holloway is almost as busy as Santa during the festive season with family and even friends of friends popping in to see her tinsel and treasures.

"I've been having visitors every day for the last couple of weeks," she said.

"For the last seven years, we've had overseas guests coming in. [This week] five French people came, last year a girl from Finland and the years before that from Korea. They always sing Silent Night in their own language – it's a fun atmosphere.

"It's a good feeling – it's the happiness that comes with Christmas."