Asked which of the animated Christmas windows is his favourite, Broadfoot says he thinks each year’s one is always the best, but this year’s is his favourite “by far”. The team has stepped up its creativity, animation and puppet quality – plus, it features his favourite motif, pirates “We do it for the children,” Broadfoot says. “It’s our gift to them to create some wonderful memories when they come to the city and come to the store.” 

Christmas window designer David Poulton has created 11 years’ worth of quirk-filled Christmas magic for Auckland department store Smith & Caughey’s

Meet the puppet maker and his wife who bring Christmas cheer to millions of people around the world, all from a factory in Noosaville

Smith & Caughey’s, New Zealand’s leading department store, has been a fixture on the Queen Street shopping strip since the 1880s. Based on the children’s book “A Pirate’s Twelve Days of Christmas” by Philip Yates and Sebastia Serra, this year’s theme fits perfectly with Auckland’s maritime history and status as the “City of Sails.” Twelve cannons blasting, nine mermaids singing, six Jolly Rogers, three black cats and a parrot in a palm tree – your little pirates will love it! Image: A parrot in a palm tree at Smith & Caughey’s, Auckland (smithandcaugheys.co.nz)

Some of the most quirky and creative Christmas puppet displays in shop windows around the world were created in Noosaville by David and his wife Sally.

The couple are the founders of Promotions in Motion and have been in the puppeteering business for 45 years - initially as performance puppeteers, travelling the world for 35 years, but now devoted to their commercial arts studio.

"I still get that thrill when I think back to where I was and what I do today and how I make my living talking, and I think 'My God, I never dreamed I could do that'," Mr Poulton said.

"We use puppetry as our main animation form and we use string puppetry, we use French Mechanical Theatre," he said. "Mechanical theatre is quite old-fashioned and quirky but really good fun to do."