The sorry tale of Miss Claus and the sad demise of one faithful Pfaff!

Imagine the scene, it's Christmas Eve and little Miss Claus, with only an hour to spare before her big night out, decides to adjust the fitting of her little red number using my faithful Pfaff sewing machine.

'Miss S. Claus 2007'

Mummy Claus (me!) is dutifully visiting family, so can't give helpful advice and in the giddy whirl of tinsel topped Christmas preparations, thinks no more of it.

In true Time Machine fashion, we now switch to the day before yesterday ... with the festivites over for another year, Mummy Claus can now be found back in her workroom, like the good little bear maker she is. She decides to sew up her latest teddy bear design, using her trusty sewing machine. She threads it, flicks the lightbulb switch and firmly presses the foot pedal ... Calamity! The machine jams more solidly than fast drying cement. Upon further close examination a tell tale thread in festive red (!) is exposed and the maternal finger of accusation points squarely at Miss Claus (Oh She of the daft penguin slippers), who is out celebrating the New Year in tried and tested fashion.

A nail bitingly frustrating two days pass before Mummy Claus manages to locate her son and begs him shamelessly to don his 'surgical whites'. He agrees readily (never one to cope well with womanly whining) and spends several painful hours shaking his head meaningfully, whilst attempting to breath life back into the desperately defunct Pfaff. One exhausted toolbox hopelessly bursting with surgical instruments later, Mummy Claus is firmly told she should face facts, the Pfaff's condition may well be terminal.

Doctor A. Carter

So, the prognosis being what it is, I've been forced (!) to order a shiny new Pfaff sewing machine so that I can work on my new bears this week.

What a start to my New Year!

Ouch!