Christmas spectacle raises charity cash

DAD-OF-TWO Peter Downes is expecting hundreds of people round to his house in the run up to Christmas.

The 46-year-old has lit up his home in All Alone Road, Idle, for the ninth year running in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Over the years a number of celebrities including soap and sporting stars have been invited to do the honours and flick the switch but this year Mr Downes decided to do it himself.

People going along to be dazzled by the light show are invited to pop their donations through the letter box - the grand total so far since he started the idea has reached around the 12,000 mark.

Christmas comes early in the Downes' house because of preparations for the festive extravaganza light, displays have to be checked and bulbs tested.

More than 50,000 bulbs are lighting up the night sky this year and there are some new additions including a carousel and some extra Santas.

His seasonal collection has grown since he started it off with flashing icicles - now the roof, house walls, garage and garden are covered with twinkling snowmen, moving reindeer, parachuting Santas, steam trains and penguins, some of the decorations even play carols.

The lights have become an established tradition, attracting visitors not just from the district but from different parts of the country.

The display are up in memory of Mr Downes's dad Timmy who died of lung cancer in 2006 and was helped by Marie Curie Cancer Care.

"We've always had celebrities in the past to come and switch the lights on for us but this year we decided to try it without and see what we could do ourselves," he said.

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Christmas spectacle raises charity cash