Year 8 Okehampton College student Elijah Thomas has put his musical talents to work and created a truly unique present for his grandmother this Christmas.

Elijah, together with his guitar teacher Sean Elliott-Sheridan, composed and recorded a one-of-a-kind Christmas song for his grandma Mary French, licensee of The Globe Inn and the owner of what is believed to be one of the largest collections of Santas in the country.

The song ‘Christmas at the Globe’ is a tribute to Mary’s local fame for her elaborate Christmas decorations in the pub, including Santa display, during the festive season and was recorded in Sean’s home studio.

Sean and Elijah have created a simple music video, shot on an iPhone 13 max pro, which has been posted on the Chagford Hub Facebook page, and initial local reaction to the catchy tune has been very favourable.

Mary, her husband Graham and daughter Lauren are all delighted with this early Christmas present from their talented Elijah and his friend Sean.

Mary started collecting Santas at the age of 16 when her grandmother presented her with her first figurine. Now, she is so well-known in the area for her Santa collection that people often donate old Santas to her.

Last year, Mary received another special gift from a pub regular who penned a poem about a tired Santa visiting the pub after a long sleigh ride across the Atlantic, where after spying Mary’s Santa collection, he transforms himself into a figurine so that he can stay at the pub for longer and enjoy a good rest.