For most of us, Christmas planning gets underway in the weeks before the main event, with last-minute dashes for presents. But for Louise Cast, also known as Mrs Claus, prepping for Christmas starts much earlier than it does for the rest of us, and is a year in the making. ‘I start planning on 1 January every year,’ says Louise, 48, from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. ‘Every January, I go shopping in the sales for raffle prizes, and write to businesses for donations and support.’
Louise spent her career working in social services while also
