DOTING great grandma Freda Phillip is looking forward to braving minus 30 degree weather, a flight across the Arctic Circle and a high speed skidoo trip so that her six-year-old great grandson can meet Father Christmas.

The 92-year-old is flying little Luke Wheelan to Lapland for the fairytale trip of a lifetime. He will get to meet Santa Claus in his own house and tell him face to face what he would like for Christmas.

Freda, from Greatwood Avenue, said she wanted to give Luke a memory that would stay with him forever. He had been born with one failing kidney, but had fought to get better.

She said she wanted to show her grandson how proud she was of him.

The pair will be accompanied by Freda's daughter-in-law Cath Bennett and her six-year-old granddaughter, six-year-old Alyx.

The group will fly from Leeds Bradford airport to Finland. They will be taken by bus to a forest where they will have to get on a skidoo to go in search of Father Christmas.

Freda said she was not worried about all the physical activity. She had worked as a weaver until she was 67 and then worked elsewhere until she was 80.

She thinks the skidoo will be a doddle having travelled hundreds of miles on the back of her husband's motorbike.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.