A HOUSE in Buckland, Newton Abbot, is once again ablaze with decorations, providing Christmas cheer for passers-by.

Bill and Elaine Beech have decorated their house and garden with thousands of lights, but it doesn’t stop there – they even have an illuminated railway running around the garden.

Bill explained: ‘It’s an old converted Chad Valley train running on a six-inch track. It goes around the garden and in and around the trees.’

The display takes a couple of weeks to put up and Bill does most of the work himself. He said: ‘Elaine is very patient!’

fourth year

It follows on from a Hallowe’en display which delighted local children in October with its smoke and gravestones.

This is the fourth year Bill and Eileen have been lighting up the nights in Buckland, and are on target to exceed the £1,000 mark for charity.

Last year was their most successful to date, raising some £400 for the Devon Air Ambulance.

This year they have chosen the Mare and Foal Sanctuary, and donations can be left in a box fixed to a pillar outside their garden.

To accompany the visual display a range of tunes plays out in the garden, but happily none of Bill and Elaine’s neighbours mind the sensory seasonal showcase, ‘They love it,’ Bill said.

It’s an expensive business, keeping the lights running, and Bill wouldn’t reveal how much the electric bill is, but to keep costs down he buys more lighting stock in the new year sales.

‘The cost is worth it though,’ he says. ‘It’s great to see the smiles on kids’ faces when they come around.’

You can see the lights in Oakland Road – and leave a token of appreciation for charity – each night from 4.30pm to 8.30pm.ORDER YOUR DIGITAL EDITION HERE