CHRISTMAS has come to a York suburb.

A festive-feeling Carol Simpson has already begun to decorate her house in St Stephen's Road, Acomb, with lights, baubles and glitter - and there are more than ten weeks left until Christmas.

The Christmas-mad grandmother of 13 said it will take the next few weeks until all the lights are fully installed, and they will probably stay in place until well into next year.

Mrs Simpson said: "I just love to see them - usually they are up for about six months.

"Everybody around here calls me a sad person, but I just love them.

"I've only just started, only a quarter of them are up yet.

"We are going to put a few more up today, then there's all the windows to do."

Mrs Simpson started going to town with festive lights about four years ago and has no idea how many she has collected.

And she said she dare not even look at her electricity bill.

She said: "I don't do it for show, I do it because I like it.

"I've got a lot of grandchildren who just love it and all the children from the neighbourhood come around and look.

"Inside I've got lots of ornaments - inside is even nicer than outside."

Updated: 11:26 Thursday, October 11, 2001