For many people, the wait for their Christmas presents every year is an agonising ordeal.

But in December 1989, one festive gift finally arrived more than half a century late.

Inside was a £10 cheque to “darling mummsie” but not surprisingly, the mother was no longer at the address to receive it.

The letter, postmarked December 1, 1939, had been sent from Shanghai to a Mrs A Dumbarton.

The slight hitch in delivery happened when a box of letters was captured by the Germans during the Second World War.

It only continued its journey after the fall of the Berlin Wall and finally arrived at the correct address a few days later.

But the householder, Douglas Hillman of Rigden Road in Hove, had never heard of Mrs Dumbarton – and she did not leave a forwarding address.

He said: “It’s amazing that it has arrived just before Christmas, albeit 50 years and 21 days after it was posted. Now we just need to find Mrs Dumbarton’s family so we finally can give them her present.”

That same year, legendary stargazer Sir Patrick Moore, who died at his Selsey home last week, threw a bucket of cold water over the nativity story.

In December 1989, he claimed the fabled Star of Bethlehem was in fact a hoax dreamed up by the disciple Matthew.

After a lifetime spent examining the heavens, Sir Patrick could think of no other explanation for the bright light.

He said: “I don’t think the star ever existed. It is just a nice story dreamed up by St Matthew. The description only appears in his gospel and nowhere else in the Bible. I am sure if it had happened the astronomers of the day would have mentioned it.”

But church leaders hit back at the larger-than-life astronomer, who made the statement in Astronomy Now magazine.

Lancing Tabernacle Church preacher Max Donald, of Grand Avenue, Lancing, said he was a firm believer in the star.

He said: “I don’t care what Mr Moore says. I have studied the history of the Bible and as far as I am concerned something did happen.”

For many children, the festive period is less about the Bible and more about the contents of their Christmas stocking.

But in December 1985 officials warned of rogue Transformers toys from Mexico that could cause lead poisoning.

Trading standards officers were out in force buying the suspect robots and having them tested, while several shops withdrew them from their shelves.

It was found that the lead in the red paint was a staggering 57,500 times the British legal level.

Another stocking filler which could easily have caused a Christmas tragedy was a tiny metal swing featuring two appealing dolls – but parents were warned that they could be prised from their perch to reveal a sharp spike.

And that same year, it appeared Christmas in Brighton had been cancelled when angry shoppers branded the city’s lights a festive flop.

They blamed tight-fisted traders for not coughing up enough cash to make the Brighton display the best on the south coast.

Business bosses agreed the £6,500 lights were “a sham”. But they promised the next year’s lights would be better. However, shoppers were less than convinced. Training officer Anne Logue, 36, from Portslade had one word for the display: “Rubbish.”

She said: “I think it is a disgrace. A premier shopping town like Brighton should have Christmas lights to be proud of.”

Pensioners Barbara and Arthur Lake from Worthing confessed: “We never even noticed them.”