FOR a decade and a half, children have stopped to gaze at the Christmas lights outside a house in Anlaby.
What started as a hobby for owner Steve Hardwick has become an annual festive highlight for friends and neighbours.
His display features 24 different sets of lights, including a Santa on a bike with flashing wheels and an animated rocking horse.
"All the bairns come down the street to see them," said Mr Hardwick, 50.
"It tends to be people who are just passing or schoolchildren."
Every year, he buys a new feature for the display at his home in Belgrave Drive. This time, Mr Hardwick has decorated a tree with more than 400 lights.
Years of experience have taught him to bag a bargain when he can.
"I usually buy something for the next year in the sales."
Mr Hardwick now has so many sets of lights, there is no longer room to put them all up.
He said: "I've got four reindeer and a sleigh, which weighs a tonne, and I just can't lift it any more. I've even got spares in the garage in case one goes. My wife goes barmy."
A long strip of lights runs around the entire outside of the house.
"Those have been up since day one when I first started," Mr Hardwick said.
"It's too much messing about to take them down."
His favourite is a Santa who is riding a bicycle.
The lights stay on from dusk to bedtime, seven days a week.
Mr Hardwick said: "I put them on about 4pm and usually turn them off about midnight when I go to bed. I don't worry about the electricity bills – it's my wife's worry."
But with so many lights, it is not easy finding enough plugs to keep the Christmas spirit ablaze.
There are two outside plugs, powering 16 different sets. Eight more have to be fed inside.
Putting them up is not a straightforward job either.
"I took last week off work just to have a go at it," said Mr Hardwick, who is a factory forklift truck driver.
"It takes me about four days to do inside and outside."
Mr Hardwick's children are grown up now, so for the past few years the display has lit up the faces of other families instead of his own. But that is about to change.
"We've just had a granddaughter born," said Mr Hardwick.
"She's only four months old and will be a bit too young to understand this Christmas.
"We're looking forward to her seeing them next year."
