A light fantastic Christmas gift - 22/12/09

Anyone thinking about giving fairy lights as a Christmas gift may be well advised - or perhaps not - to visit Eric Marshall's house in North Yorkshire.

They will either be completely bowled over or left wondering how their paltry present can possibly compete with Eric's megawatt display.

Built up over the last 10 years, his personal northern lights create a constellation strung across house and garden in Bagby, near Thirsk, that takes three weeks to wire up.

His miniature railway has so impressed Top Gear presenter James May that it will feature on an upcoming TV show, and attracts visitors from across the north of England.

Says Eric, 69: "The lights started with a Santa and sleigh, and all the mothers in the village brought their children to see it, and it just snowballed.

"I get donations in the summer from visitors for the railway, which I give to the Macmillan nurses, and for the lights it goes to the local church. The kids love it, some of them come every night."

And the cost: "I daren't look at the electricty bills," he said. "I pay by direct debit, put them in a drawer and forget about them."

A light fantastic Christmas gift - 22/12/09

Related Articles

Related Links