There are some people who go that extra mile to help their communities, and Coventry's real life Santa Claus is one of them.

Joe Lawless, a retired barber from Coventry, has been dressing up as Santa Claus for the community for the best part of 35 years.

Donning his magic key (for houses with no chimneys), sleigh bell boots and bright red suit, he has brought magic and wonder to many children (and adults) across Coventry and Warwickshire.

Such is Joe's dedication to the seasonal role, he grows his beard for months before to get into character, and would even put hair in his big red suit.

As reported in our CoventryLive newsletter, Joe hung up his scissors and retired from his much loved barbershop, The Clip Joint in Tile Hill, earlier this month.

The news was met with widespread well-wishes from CoventryLive readers, who hailed Joe as a "wonderful, friendly and caring man."

But it has been far from a quiet retirement for the veteran barber, particularly this Christmas, as communities rally around to support each other through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Donning his home-grown beard and costume, Joe has spent December surprising families, helping with charity events and delivering donations to those in need, all dressed up as Santa.

Joe's wife Maxine Lawless said: "Joe has been dressing up as Santa for all of the 35 years at the shop cutting hair in his red suit! He also visits Birmingham Children’s Hospital Heart wards, Intensive Care Ward and Cancer Wards and has done for many years he loves it.

She went on: "He has done parties for Zoe’s Place and Young Carers too.

"The beard is real by the way, he grows it every year so the children won’t be frightened of a false white beard and he shaves it off on Christmas Eve when he says his work is done!"

And this month he's even made surprise visits to Coventry families on a whim. Maxine said: "We were delivering presents to a family member in Binley after leaving the fundraiser in Foleshill on Saturday and after I parked, I remarked that the house we’d parked outside was very pretty.

"On an impulse Santa Joe rang the bell to tell them well done and it was recorded on ring bell! It was a magical moment for us as the little boy was so thrilled."

Footage of Santa Joe ringing the door bell did the rounds on local Facebook forums as the little boy's mum tried to track down the mystery man, and the post was inundated with people who recognised Joe.

'What Santa stands for is lovely'

Speaking to CoventryLiv e about what happened, Joe said: "I didn't know who was in there, and it was quite magical and it was quite nice. The mum was so happy because the boy thought because he had no chimney that Santa wouldn't be able to get in. So when he saw the magic key he knew Santa would be coming on Christmas day."

And now that he is so well known in Coventry for being Santa, what goes into preparing for it? "I grow the beard because it's the only thing that will fool the kids, it really wows them.

"Of course I have a key hanging off my belt and that's the magic key because I tell them I don't go down the chimney. I even have bells on my boots, I look and sound like Christmas, now I just have to smell like Christmas."

And how did he actually become Santa, what led him to the role? Well for Joe, he first donned the red suit when he was just 18 years old at a pensioners' party in the Half Sovereign pub in Coventry, because no-one wanted to dress up as Santa.

When he saw the smiles and the pleasure it brought to the pensioners, he was hooked and has been Santa ever since.

Joe out delivering presents and parcels to the community in Coventry

And what type of reaction does he get? "It's a magical experience when you become a Santa and you take it seriously. The wonder in the kids' eyes when they believe, it's a gift. Anyone that dons the suit will tell you that they get far more out of it than they give. It's all about keeping the magic alive, life's too serious.

"What Santa stands for is lovely, it's all love, it's all about giving."

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"It is quite good, it's magical, however hard the person is it melts them, takes them back to when they believed."

And in what is perhaps a nod to our increasingly tech-filled lives, and the limits that coronavirus has put on us, Joe has recorded over 40 Whatsapp videos as Santa Claus, for free, to help cheer up those in the community who have been having a hard time.

He explained: "We recorded a video for a little lad who who lost his nan.

"Maxine is getting good at it now, she has her phone, she lets me know when the minute is up, it's just to help with the belief and help kids be good.

"I don't know if the outtakes are more fun than the actual things themselves."

Joe and Maxine Lawless. Joe Lawless from Coventry dresses up as Santa Claus every year

He added: "When I've been to the hospitals, that's absolutely awesome, everyone needs cheering up. It's surprising how people young and old love Santa."

And he even revealed some of the benefits of taking on the role: "When the pubs were open it was quite handy if you wore the red suit you'd get served quickly!

"I've got mince pies coming out my ears!"