Dear Santa... New hall owners find 1930s Christmas letters

But a stash of letters discovered up a chimney in an historic hall in Powys has revealed 80 years ago children were asking for much simpler gifts.

Julia Pugh and her family bought Garthmyl Hall in Berriew, near Welshpool, at the end of October with the aim to turn it into a high-end wedding venue.

Mrs Pugh said the hall was "pretty run down" when they bought it, so they started work by sweeping all the chimneys.

"We even decided to sweep the bathroom ones," she said. "I am so pleased we did as we found some wonderful letters to Father Christmas from the little girl who lived in the hall with her family. The bathroom was then her playroom and she would write letters to Santa and send them up the chimney."

The first letter is believed to be from about 1930, with the second a little later.

Mrs Pugh said: "We found three but only two you can read, as the one was so burnt you couldn't make out any text."

The text of the first reads "Dear Father Xmas, Please bring me some nice toys, and a hymn book. Age 5 1/2. Love Christine."

The second is charred around the edges, but it is still possible to read ". . . and a dolls house and a dollys case and a box of crayons and please may I have a pair of scissors and please may I have a dolly . . ."

Mrs Pugh said: "Before we bought the hall I wanted to find out as much as I could about the hall so contacted Mrs Christine Churchill, who is now in her 80s, who used to live there. She has become a firm friend of mine and a wonderful character. When we discovered the letters and they were signed 'Christine' I knew they were hers. She copied the letters and has let me keep the original."

The two women have had many conversations about what life used to be like at Garthmyl Hall as Mrs Pugh has tried to find out more about the building's history.

She said: "She's told me all sorts and has lots of photos of the hall and her family when they lived there. She is most excited we are putting it back to how it should be."

Mrs Pugh and her family are currently working to restore the hall and hope to be able to open it up in March 2016.