A Toy Fair at Rowntree's store is made ready for Christmas, using a Peter Pan theme. The film follows preparations for that and a parade where Santa and characters from Peter Pan arrive by train then parade through Scarborough to the store. The film opens showing a table decorated with balloons and other Christmas decorations. A title board propped up on the table reads: ‘Christmas 1963’. A woman holds opens a door to a room, at the back is the the decorated table seen at the...

A Toy Fair at Rowntree's store is made ready for Christmas, using a Peter Pan theme. The film follows preparations for that and a parade where Santa and characters from Peter Pan arrive by train then parade through Scarborough to the store. The film opens showing a table decorated with balloons and other Christmas decorations. A title board propped up on the table reads: ‘Christmas 1963’. A woman holds opens a door to a room, at the back is the the decorated table seen at the beginning of the film. There are also shelves spilling over with boxes and other items. Inside the room the woman sits at desk creating by hand Christmas themed notices. The window where she sits is decorated with dozens of balloons. One of her creations reads; “Christmas Magic” and is mounted on a nearby window. The camera moves round to the table seen at the beginning of the film, the shelves above it stacked with files and piles of paper. A close up of the woman at work shows she is creating a new notice in a gothic style script which reads; “Pirates’ Treasure” she works on the final word ‘chest’ as the camera shows another title on her work desk which reads; “Slippers for Christmas”. Further views show her at work on more hand painted signs or posters. A man comes into the work room, the door he has just walked through has a sign which reads; “Promotions Manager”. He pins a notice to a board, an elaborate pink coloured jacket hangs on a wall, on a nearby desk a flamboyant hat lies. The woman seen earlier creates more signs while a young woman next to her blows up a balloon. General views around the workroom show teddy bears, colourful costumes and other items. The film moves on to a door marked ‘Display Department ‘. The camera shows a room full of decorated props, many with tinsel and brightly coloured paper. Back in the workroom a young girl poses for the camera in a costume perhaps an animal of some kind. Nearby a man seen earlier in the film speaks on the phone. General views show a work desk strewn with paper. A woman makes adjustments to the child’s costume. The signs made for the Rowntree Department Store guide customers to their Christmas Toy Fair. A larger–than-life open book adds to the range of store decorations. It is open at a page which quotes a line from the story of Peter Pan. A workman makes some finishing touches to the book. Another workman sits down in a decorated chair immediately in front of it, another workman attempts to sit on his knee. Other members of store staff prepare other decorations and installations. A general view of the toy department shows staff at work. One of the new signs reads “Peter Pan’s Christmas Magic” A model of Peter Pan sits on a crescent moon, while his friends and Tinkerbelle the fairy fly above him. A model figure of Captain Hook stands next to a representation of a ship’s wheel. The infamous crocodile stands on the opposite side of the wheel looking across at Captain Hook. Nearby are models of the pirates and also models of the Darling family and the other characters from the well-known story. General views show large and small coloured baubles hanging from the ceiling, and other decorations around the toy department, but the main decorative theme is the story of Peter Pan. A large sign reads: “Welcome to the Toy fair in Never-never Land”. This hangs above the giant book seen earlier in the film. More general views show more of the Christmas decorations for the toy fair. A sign above a set of shelves with a shop counter in front invites you to inspect “Peter Pan’s Toyshop”. A view shows what Santa’s decorated throne in front of the open book. Another sign invites you to purchase “Pirates Treasure Chest Parcels”. A public notice form the GPO (General Post Office) is also on display. A large elaborate mechanical display hangs from the ceiling, with moving figures and boats and other strange modes of transport. There are some references to post office services on the display suggesting they are sponsoring it. The film cuts to a man standing next to a low coffee table in a room furnished with chairs and a sofa. On the coffee table there are three phones and a notice placed on the floor nearby giving details about free delivery. A change of view shows a man carrying a suitcase and a woman walk towards the camera along the path leading from a terraced house. An MG Magnette car is parked in the road; the man places a suitcase in the boot of the car as another man holds the passenger door open. Next, the car has arrived at a railway station and items are unloaded form the car. A woman leaves the car in ballet costume. A change of scene follows and a local service diesel train approaches a station platform. On board a man rummages in an open suitcase. Nearby a passenger puts on a striped tee-shirt the girl in the ballet dress sits in an adjacent seat. The man with the suitcase uses a mirror to put on make-up. Others in the carriage also get ready in their costumes. The older man putting on the make-up prepares the rest of his costume in which he will be transformed into Santa Claus. A travelling view from one of the train windows shows the train approaching a station platform. The train then passes under a complex of signal gantries. A very dark view follows highlighted only by the shops and kiosks on the station platform. The travellers have arrived at their destination and are walking away from the train. Outside the station a highly decorated vehicle waits, crowds look on in eager anticipation. Santa Claus arrives and gets on the vehicle which is in the form of a sleigh. He’s accompanied by one or two helpers, dressed in costumes. Including the girl in ballet costume who has also acquires fairy’s wing and presumably is playing the role of Tinkerbelle from the Peter Pan story. A Scots pipe band prepares to play ahead of the ‘sleigh’. The parade begins, Santa’s sleigh passes by the camera, others follow in costume dressed in characters from the Peter Pan story. Following behind them are a number of decorated cars. The film moves to the exterior of Rowntree’s store in York, decorated with strings of lights. From an upper storey window, the street below shows crowds gathering on the pavements to greet Santa as he arrives at the store. The pipe band leads the procession. A close view shows the elaborately constructed and painted sleigh, along with Tinkerbelle and Santa waving at the crowds. The parade stops and the crowds gather round as Santa and his entourage makes their way towards the store. Inside crowds and members of the parade swamp the toy fair. Santa Claus sits on his throne in front of the oversize book. The pipe band play and three dancers in tartan uniform perform Scottish dances. Members of the parade dressed as characters from Peter Pan watch. The pipe band leave as the Peter Pan characters move to help Santa Claus prepare for his duties, one of them leaves a large English sheep dog with him. The film ends with a view of adults and children waiting to meet with Santa Claus.