It’s a terrible picture, blurred and badly composed, I know. But, strange as it may be, I’d never seen a black Santa before, not in real life, on a Christmas card, or in any form. Now that I think of it, I’m surprised. Back in the UK government departments and companies go to extremes to be politically correct, inclusive, and as multi-cultural as possible. So how come I haven’t seen a Black Santa, with Asian elves, and LGBT reindeer before?

I spotted him in a crowded shopping mall in Suva, the capital city of Fiji. My attempts to get a better picture were thwarted by the official mall Santa photographer, who was rather territorial and didn’t want me to take any pictures. He did say I could be photographed (by him) with Santa if I waited in line and paid the required fee. Of course, now I wish I had got a picture of with Black Santa, but I reserve a special kind of hatred for shopping malls, which only intensifies at Christmas when the insanity seems to be turned up to a Spinal Tap 11!