A David Jones Christmas: one true story, and two "quite probable" disasters

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It was the perfect Christmas window, the ones that made David Jones famous, and the reason our family travelled into the city every December, just so we could see it.

This year's had Snow White, lying in death like sleep upon her bier, surrounded by seven grieving dwarfs, while Prince Charming bent to kiss her. The characters even moved, the bier circling, the dwarfs lifting their hankies, Prince Charming bending, up and down.

It was strictly non-religious, designed to offend no one ... until the set designer received an urgent phone call. Did he know that an uproarious crowd had gathered outside the window? Not kids and mums and dads but blokes with bottles of beer yelling encouragement? And could he please do something about it? Now!

He drove into town. (I am tactfully not saying which town.) Prince Charming's stand had broken. He was now lying on top of the sleeping Snow White, still going up and down, while the crowd roared "Go to it, mate!"

That was the end of his employment at David Jones. He'd had one previous Christmas disaster, too, when the Good Fairy, partially created out of light bulbs to make her glow, exploded in front of a crowd of children. They had to be comforted with ice-cream and lemonade, and one little boy was still sobbing when my friend arrived. He worried that the kid had been emotionally scarred for life - you find the perfect........

© Canberra Times