DICKENSIAN Christmas cheer - not to mention real reindeer - brought one of Southampton's busiest shopping centres to seasonal life.
Santa arrived at the Mall Marlands in the city centre on Saturday in a horse-drawn carriage to mark the opening of the centre's new entrance in Above Bar.
And if that was not enough, Rudolph and his chums were inside the centre to give youngsters the chance to find out if the famous reindeer really did have a shiny nose.
The £2.3m Mall Marlands makeover features a covered walkway leading from Above Bar to Manchester Street - the current "front door" of the store.
Hundreds of youngsters had their photographs taken with Santa and will appear in a special Christmas supplement in the Daily Echo on Wednesday.
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