Names on the buses 332 Michael Childs

Connections with Brighton and Hove : Otherwise known as ‘Santa Mike’, for 17 years Michael Childs played Santa Claus on our Santa Bus bringing joy to thousands of children. Bringing total authenticity by sporting a flowing white beard, Santa Mike was known to be a stickler for adhering to Santa etiquette and was an inspiration for other would-be Santas. Much in demand in the run-up to Christmas being Santa for several other organisations including the Argus newspaper, Santa Mike was known for his generous and kind nature, dedicating his time and energy to good causes. On the Santa Bus alone, he raised over £250,000 for local charities over the years. Santa Mike lived in Whitehawk with his wife Sue and their six children. He was a grandfather and great grandfather. When asked by children how old he was, he would reply that he was ‘over 100’, to much delight from his audience. A service was held for him at St Nicholas Church in Brighton, when he died in 2019 aged 77. His motto was ‘Believe in the magic’.

333 Alexander Dennis Enviro - carried name since October 2020.