IT sounds like a dream job. Most of the year off before a few weeks of ensuring that everyone's Christmas dreams come true.

But our reporter did a stint for the national elf service at Santa's grotto in The Mall, Blackburn, and discovered it's not as easy as it looks.

THEY SAY behind every great man is a strong woman.

And I've discovered that behind every great Santa Claus is a team of hard-working elves.

When I bowled up to The Mall, Blackburn, for my shift I was expecting an easy ride.

But I was in for a surprise.

Marketing manager Victoria Holmes handed me the red and green fleecy outfit - complete with gold buttons and a rather jaunty bell-tipped hat - and the pair of us elfed up ready for the job.

After getting over the initial embarrassment of walking through Blackburn's busy shopping centre dressed as an elf, we were tasked with drumming up a little business.

So armed with a handful of bright blue balloons we walked up and down the centre handing them out to excited toddlers and grateful mums.

It must have worked, because before long word reached us that there was a bit of a rush on back at the grotto, so we hot-footed it back to base to help out.

Brothers Jake, three, and Shay, one, were in with Father Christmas, but despite being excited about meeting the man himself beforehand, Jake then became uncharacteriscially shy, and Shay burst into tears.

Ever the professional, Father Christmas (artist and children's worker Peter Bourne was standing in as the man himself) did everything he could think of to cheer the pair up.

He handed them both presents, worked a squirrel hand-puppet, sang songs and even took his trademark half-moon spectacles off, but to no avail.

Even a bribe of sweets from mum Natalie Bowen couldn't make the pair smile for the camera.

Next in was three-year-old Cameron Wilson who was in a brighter mood.

He excitedly reeled off a list of presentsas long as your arm to Father Christmas, who patiently recorded each gift in his big red book alongside Cameron's name - he wouldn't want to get the presents in his sack mixed up after all.

Four-month-old Connor was up next, carried in by his parents.

Dressed in a reindeer baby-gro complete with antlers, he was too young to tell Father Christmas what presents he wanted, but nevertheless, his mum said a visit to the grotto was all part of the festive fun in the build-up to Christmas.

Being a weekday, children over the age of five were in school, so the grotto was never overly busy.

It's a different story on the weekends though, according to my fellow elf and marketing manager Victoria Holmes, when there's queuing around the block.

The Mall has even organised an online booking system so customers can select a time to see the man himself and beat the queue (ww.bookfatherchristmas.co.uk).

Mr Bourne (aka Father Christmas) said working as a professional Father Christmas is a great job, but there can be a few hairy moments when children won't stop crying.

"It's a lovely job," he said.

"You do feel very Christmasy and it puts you in the festive spirit. The hardest thing is when the child cries because they're scared of my beard.

"When children come in we'll sometimes we'll sing a song together, or if they're shy I'll sketch a picture of them."

The only sour moment came when a gang of teenage boys walked past and shouted an obscenity.

But fellow elf Victoria soon sorted them out - giving them a warning to behave or be thrown out, which quickly shut them up.

Next was a quick stint operating the squirrel hand puppet for Father Christmas, and before I knew it my shift was over.

The time has flown by and on the way back to the office for a hard-earned cup of tea, I definitely have a spring in my step and a warm festive glow in my heart.