Should you not be feeling in the Christmas spirit yet, a visit to the home of Steve and Sharon Smith is guaranteed to leave you full of festive cheer.
For the fourth year in a row, the St Thomas couple have transformed the front garden of their home into a winter wonderland for all to enjoy.
Every night, from about 5pm to 10.30pm, they both dress up in their Christmas clobber to greet the many visitors who descend upon Myrtle Road.
Sharon, 55, said: “We are out here every night and like seeing other people enjoying it. Children love it, especially when we put the snow machine on.
“It really gets us in the Christmas spirit and other people say it doesn’t feel like Christmas until they come here."
The task of setting up the display begins after Halloween which the Smith’s also celebrate with an eye catching display, along with Exeter Pirate Day in September.
They were switched on for the first time on December 1, and have already been seen by hundreds of people who come from far and wide.
Recalling how it all started four years ago, Steve, 58, said: “A neighbour two doors up had a baby who was in the neonatal unit and asked if we would make our house look festive to help raise money for the unit.
“Unfortunately they had to move but as we agreed to it we rocked on with it anyway.
“That first year we probably had half of what we have got now, and we still raised over £900 for the neonatal unit.
“Our neighbours liked what we did so much that they asked if we were going to do it again the next year so we did.”
Each year the Smith’s have raised money for different local causes. In 2018, they raised £1,800 for Hospicare.
This year the chosen charity is Force and they are hoping to raise more than they ever have before because the festive display is the biggest and best it’s ever been.
New additions include an igloo, snowman, inflatable nutcracker, and a festive lantern.
Steve said: “Sharon is disabled and I’m her full-time carer. This is our way of giving something back to the community.
“We buy it all in the sales if we can. We probably have spent a fortune but we’ve never added it up because it would be too scary!
“We do get items donated from shops such as B&Q in Newton Abbot who gave us the snow dog, and Tesco and Sainsbury’s provide the mince pies, hot chocolate and sweets we offer to people when they come to the house. We call them elf treats.
“Our electric bill is only about an extra £3 to £4 a day because it’s all 12 volt LED lights we use."
All the decorations are stored in the Smith's loft thanks to Steve's packing skills.
Sharon said: "He is a whizz at packing the loft and the car, and I'm a whizz at packing the freezer! Some things like the sleigh don't have to be put away because it's a wooden trailer that is covered with some material each year."
The Smith’s are hoping to be able something extra special on Christmas Eve. The festive display will then stay until January 5.
Another important date in the calendar is having Father Christmas visiting between December 17 to Christmas Eve.
Christmas in Devon
Exeter Round Table Christmas float is visiting the street on Monday, December 10.
