I remember vividly: travelling to school in the frigid British Winter; darkness still looming in the skies despite it being nearly 8 AM already; frost (and occasionally snow) sprawling across the brick house walls. As I would walk through Mollison Drive amidst the dark, I would come across a house that had lights embroidered all over it, not a speck left unbeautified. This colourful sensation brightened up the street, thawing away the frost that clawed our faces, with that fuzzy ‘Christmassy’ comfort-feeling of light. It was the kind of glow that you would expect to see in Whoville. Years later, this festive phenomenon still lies in the streets of Morrison Drive. A week ago, I visited this house and talked to the owner of this house about what this was.

 

The man responsible is 50-year-old Mark. He has been conducting this event for 20 years. Every festive season, Mark puts up not only a large Christmas lights display, but also sells festive decorations at a Charity sale in front of his house. The kind of things he sold ranged widely. Wrapping paper, baubles, decorative ceramics, to actual sleighs! There was this huge arsenal of various Christmas items, probably given to Mark directly by Santa himself from his workshop. Well, no, he actually bought them himself and they are sold for quite a fair price too. Furthermore, he doesn’t keep his profits but every year, be picks a different charity to donate the proceeds to, for example to local hospitals like St Helier’s Hospital or to poverty relief charities.  

This Is Local London:

While talking to Mark, I had a gander around at the display - a cartoonish small felt Christmas tree, with Garfield-esque eyes and two arms poking out through the fake leaves wearing mittens. Above you can see a cute little snowman perched on the floor. Mark said that the most that he raised in a year was $1050, which is very impressive for a small sale run by one person. He garners attention from people from the local community who want to support, or from passers-by entranced by the lightshow, or from children from the nearby schools telling their mothers about how they saw a glimpse of the North Pole workshop on the way back from school. Mark’s humble work is underappreciated because of this self-sacrificial generosity that embodies the Christmas spirit, especially considering the already difficult financial situation; most households wouldn’t be able to put out lights for too long in December. The fact that Mark has run his non-profit yard sale for 20 years shows his commitment, and it was a pleasure talking to him.