A Christmas Story, Downtown, circa 1980.

[krapug1]

I always try to post this story each year, so here goes.

For those who are old enough to remember downtown in the 1970's, things were going down hill, but there were those of us who did what we could to get people to still shop downtown. We did not win all the batlles, but we had some triumphs.

In particular, we we got to the late 70's, people were even starting to avoid the annual Christmas trip to downtown Hudson's.

So at Thanksgiving dinner in 1980, my Sister In Law [[a total wack job), and my Brother [[a total wus) "announced" that they would not be going downtown this year as too many horrible things were happening.
It was also annnounced that my nephew had the following Friday off, as is school was having an in-service day.

My plan was hatched !!

I offered to take care of "PT" that day, and in fact I would take him downtown to see Santa at Hudson's. After much discussion, I was given the green light, and off we went. They lived in Royal Oak, so as an added treat we took the commuter train in. My Sister In law actually liked this part of the day, as according to her, thugs lined Woodward, waiting to pounce on the cars of any white people heading downtown [[I told you she was a wack job).

We had a great day downtown, and spent a good deal of it at Hudson's, as siince I worked there Part Time [[in the regional credit office then), I was able to include a tour of some of the closed off sections, which my nephew loved. On the train ride home, I told him that he would get all the gifts on his list, since he saw the REAL Santa, and that the mall Santas weren't helpers, they were frauds, and bad.

Fast forward to that Monday, and I got a frantic phone call from my Brother. The principal of PT's school called, and was livid as PT told all his classmates, and 1/2 of the school that unless everyone saw the REAL Santa at downtown Hudson's they would not get anything but coal for Christmas. I wound up having to call the principal [[a bigger whack job than my Sister In Law), and of course I told her I would explain things to PT [[which of course I did not).

End result being that almost all of PT's friends and classmates got to downtown Hudson's that year, and PT even went on 2 of these trips. No one wound up assulted, or mamed !

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL !

Ken

[EMG]

PT and his friends are truly fortunate that they had that opportunity. While I never went during the Christmas season to see "the" Santa Claus, my mom did take me to downtown Hudson's on at least a couple of occasions in the early '70s, so I did get to at least experience the store. I especially remember the gloved elevator operators and the mezanine. I've described it to my wife, who would have loved it but unfortunately never had the chance to see Downtown Hudson's as she grew up in Pinconning.

[eno]

Great story krapug1. I love it when kids are subverted by an alternative perspective. I always thought of Hudson's as being elitist and it's personnel as snobbish. But I think the point of your story has more to do with the suburb/city divide at that time. Hey, the Thanksgiving Day parade went down Woodward and ended with Santa Claus downtown with Christmas Carol. Why would anyone think the real Santa was anywhere else?

[Bodybagging]

LOL @ Fraudulent Santas..... Seriously when I took my son to various locations during his childhood, including the much coveted Bronners for his very first Santa experience, All Santa,s paled in comparison to the Real Downtown Hudson Santa.
I even pulled out my photo with Santa from the 70,s just to make sure He was as grand as I remember...He was. Great Story!

[RealityCheck]

Another reminder of why our forum is a priority destination . . . even Christmas Eve.

Well-done, Ken . . . today and 30 or so years ago. Merry Christmas!

[gnome]

The longest running Hudson Santa was Rube Weiss, childhood actor on the Green Hornet, helped in breaking the Nazi Enigma Code, actor, voice-over artist, father of one half of Was[[NotWas) and a jew.

Funniest guy of all time, when I said to him once, "Have a good one..." Rube said," I have a good one, I need a bigger one."

[RealityCheck]

Another reminder of why our forum is a priority destination . . .

. . . even Christmas Day, thanks to Gnome kicking this cool thread up another notch!