Ho Ho Happily Ever After

AS A PROFESSIONAL SANTA, TROY WONDERED IF HE’D EVER FIND HIS REAL-LIFE MRS CLAUS

- Emma Levett

Putting the finishing touches to his freshly bleached hair and beard, Troy Thode is ready for another season as Santa. For the last 40 years, the father of two has been perfecting his paunch and honing his ‘ho ho ho’s as he spreads Christmas cheer dressed as Saint Nick.

“I love being Santa so much,” he tells New Idea with a sparkle in his eyes. “It started when I was in ninth grade. I was the biggest kid in my class so I played Santa in school performance.

The year after, my dad asked me to hand out oranges to local kids dressed as Santa, and by the time I was 16, I had a job at a department store as Santa. It’s carried on every year, ever since.”

There’s always been just one thing missing – Troy’s very own Mrs. Claus.

“Previous partners have never been interested,” he says.

But then, he found Cheryl. The pair, both 54 years old, had known each other for 40 years, having met while at school.

“I had a crush on her back then,” Troy admits. “I asked her out a couple of times when we were about 16 but she said no. She was scared of what her dad would say, but I didn’t know that. I gave up and life went on. We both got married to other people but we stayed friends.”