When I was young, there was a department store on my local high street called Evans and Davies.  Pretty sure it was an independent.  It was on two floors and they had one of those old style elavators with an old man taking it up and down.  They sold a bit of a mish-mash of things.  Crockery, linen, school uniform, lingerie, cosmetics.  Nothing that a child would be remotely interested in.  Except.  For the month of December, they would have a toy department with a Santa.  I can still remember the excitement of having something laid on just for us.  How wonderful things can be when they are brief.  Happy days!