Lighting up time for Christmas in Wolverhampton
Pensioner Keith Blackford has been cheering up passers by with his Christmas lights for the past decade – and shows no signs of giving up.
The 75-year-old fixes up to 10,000 bulbs to his home in Norbury Crescent, Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, each year.
And it has proved popular with neighbours – with one even writing him a letter thanking him for all the hard work he puts in.
Meanwhile trees outside the Gatehouse pub on Wolverhampton's former Goodyear site in Stafford Road have been covered in more than 12,000 bulbs – and they will be kept on all year round.
General manager Garry Leek said: "They are here to stay. They are so prominent and people really notice them when they drive past."
Mr Blackford has covered the front of his house and garden with more than 90ft of rope lights and erected two artificial Christmas trees. One of the trees stands at 12ft tall and has 1,200 bulbs on it alone.
Mr Blackford, a retired electrical and gas engineer, is helped by his grandson John, 30, when they put up the lights. It usually takes about five days – and this year he started in mid-November "before the weather got too cold". Mr Blackford also helps his wife run the Lanesfield Hardware store in Wood Street – and says she "loves" the display.
The grandfather of four and great-grandfather of three admits to being a "big kid at heart" and says he always gets excited about Christmas.
He added: "A little girl walked past the other day and asked whether Santa lives here. I'm as bad as the kids when it comes to Christmas.
"People are always making comments and it makes it all worthwhile. I think it makes the road a lot more special when people decorate their houses."
Pictures by Tim Thursfield
