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Light displays on 'Christmas Street' raise £10,000

BBC/Jodie Halford A street is pictured at night - each house has colourful lights, figurines and other decorations displayed in their gardens and drivewaysBBC/Jodie Halford
Houses in Nayling Road, Braintree, Essex, are well-known in the area for their extensive decorations

The residents of a cul-de-sac dubbed "Christmas Street" for its large festive light displays have raised nearly £10,000 for charity.

Nayling Road in Braintree, Essex, welcomes hundreds of visitors each year who come to see about 40 houses adorned with Christmas decorations.

The organisers of the annual displays said £9,848 had been collected by residents from those who visited the road in December and the sum will be divided between charities.

Frank Petchey collected the largest sum of £2,500, which has gone to Helen Rollason Cancer Charity to support people living with the illness in Essex.

BBC/Jodie Halford A model village is surrounded by its own mini fairy lights and includes snowmen, Father Christmas figurines and a toy train. Multicoloured lights are visible in the background. BBC/Jodie Halford
An elaborate display outside Frank Petchey's house on Nayling Road always draws large crowds

Mr Petchey's house is one of the most elaborately-decorated properties on the street and features about 500m (1,640ft) of lights, a snowy village scene with a toy train, a window display and a full-sized Father Christmas model.

"I'm very pleased," he said of the sum he had collected, adding that he "didn't expect to get that much", but 23 December and Christmas Eve had been "colossal" in terms of visitors.

Each resident chooses the charity they would like to collect for, and Mr Petchey said he always picks the Helen Rollason Cancer Charity as it supported his late wife Patricia.

BBC/Jodie Halford A man wearing glasses and a Santa hat smiles at the camera. Multicoloured fairy lights are visible in the background BBC/Jodie Halford
Frank Petchey said he was looking forward to buying some new model houses at boot fairs for his display in 2025

Mr Petchey said he was already looking ahead to his 2025 display.

"Some of my [model] houses are 20 or 25 years old. I've noticed some are hard and brittle, so looks like a boot sale for me this year to get some new houses," he said.

"To me it's a hobby, I love meeting people and socialising.

"I check all the Christmas lights in the spring and summer by laying them out in my garden with the neighbours, and we have a barbecue. It really is a social thing."

Brogan's Battle, British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK also received donations of about £1,000.

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