Lajla Holland Parade and Black Pete

I can remember these Christmas Parades where we would bring our chair outside of my Opa's shop and sit and watch the parade go by...this of course was a young black pete but I can so remember being sooooo scared of him as a child. and hoped no one would knock on our door on Christmas Eve.The story goes, as long as you were a good child he would leave you alone, but if you were naughty, he would put you in his sack and take you away. I tried so hard to be a good girl so that wouldn't happen, I can remember not even wanting to stand next to this little fella because he was his worker, of course when we moved to Australia, he never came down under so being a real good girl before Christmas didn't matter....but I was a good little girl most of the time anyway.....probably till I discovered that I could take a lolly here and there and nobody minded it seemed....until one day the shop keeper discovered some in my boots..so that soon stopped.... Lucky me he was stern but very nice about it. Sorry shop keeper wherever you are..It was my Mum and Dad's fault as they never bought enough lollies for me !!!!! haha thats my excuse anyway...Today I have a drawer full of them......for the grandchildren of course !!!! and just in case Tony or I get a little craving which seems to happen each evening about 8 p.m.!