Aglow with spirit of Christmas (From York Press)

Aglow with spirit of Christmas

10:18am Wednesday 28th December 2011 in Christmas news

Spectacular North Yorkshire illuminations bring festive cheer to charities, reports KATE LIPTROT

A NORTH Yorkshire grandfather saved Santa’s reindeer by giving them a new place to live at his spectacularly decorated home.

Among the many Christmas decorations and lights at Trevor Imeson’s home near Sessay are two large reindeer models which used to have pride of place in London’s Oxford Street festive decorations.

When a friend saw the reindeer being smashed up by workmen who had nowhere to store them, he rescued the reindeer and brought them to add to the remarkable fundraising Christmas display at Mr Imeson’s home.

They now stand beside hundreds of decorations, lights, a 15ft tree and even real-life fallow deer, which people travel for miles to see at the property in Moorgate Plantation on Blind Peace Lane, between Sessay and Dalton.

Mr Imeson, 66, started decorating his home around 35 years ago with a simple string of lights and found that his collection has since snowballed.

He said: “About 15 years ago a friend in the village asked if I had thought about doing it for charity. On my first year I raised £300 – my best year has been about £700.

“I just can’t believe the response there has been this year. I have had people come from Hawes and a lot of people from York and beyond. Sometimes I can go out for ten minutes and I’m stuck there for two hours because there are so many people.”

His wife Paulyn and daughter Lynda help him with the decorating, Mr Imeson said.

All of the money raised by the display is donated to the special baby care unit at Northallerton’s Friarage Hospital, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Forces Children’s Trust to help children whose parents are injured or killed at war.

• The display will continue to be all lit up until January 7.