Christmas lights display at Walsall home is still a hit with locals 20 years on
It's been 20 years in the making – and now this colourful house in Rushall is its own miniature Christmas attraction once the festive season begins.
Husband and wife team Terry and June Tapper first bought a light-up white snowman to go on the outside of their Lichfield Road house 20 years ago.
Since then they have bought a new addition to their display every year, and now their home and front garden is covered in dozens of twinkling lights and figurines.
Mr Tapper says people always look forward to when the lights go up, and often make a special visit with their children or grandchildren to visit.
He said: "Once they see the lights, they know it's almost Christmas.
"We see people stop on the road, and they bring their children or grandchildren. We didn't realise what a big attraction it had become.
"We try and have a new addition every year – this year we have an eight food reindeer and a drummer boy."
It takes about 15 hours to fit the entire display onto the house, and the couple – both aged 74 – enlist the help of their son James and also their friends.
"We do it gradually, not all in one go. So it takes us about two or three weeks.
"Everyone seems to love it. The neighbours don't have lights but they just enjoy ours. We've never had any negativity, none whatsoever.
"Everything on it is LED as well, it's a much better and brighter light and a lot less costly than the old bulbs.
"Sometimes people will knock on the door and ask to walk around – it just brings so much pleasure to everyone."
Retired Mr and Mrs Tapper turn on the lights between 4 and 5pm and then they go off just after 8pm. Mr Tapper, who works part-time at a nearby McDonald's said he's even had some of his younger colleagues tell him about how they used to visit his home with their parents when they were children.
"June likes the 8ft reindeer the best," Mr Tapper added. "But I like the little white snowman, the one that started it all."
