The new illuminations

 

Blackpool may have its lights and Walsall may have its illuminations but some would say that both are put in the shade by Leonard Road in Stourbridge.  Whilst most streets in the Black Country have one or two houses lit-up, Leonard Road has no less than 39 houses adorned with some of the best displays this side of Las Vegas.

The sheer scale and professionalism of the display is simply awesome as HoHoHo discovered when we chatted to Cliff and Sue Buckley founder members of the Leornard Road light display. 

So Cliff, Sue why do you do the display?

 

‘We do it for charity and for our grandchild -  also - we just love Christmas.’ 

So how did it start?

 

‘It was started by Sheila Littlewood who has always put up a few lights every Chrismas. From there the idea started to catch on in the rest of the street and spread - now there are over 30 festive displays! It's taken six years of dedication and hardwork to get to where we are now.’
 

All for a good cause.

 

Leonard Rd started collecting money for charity six years ago and every year they collect well over £30,000 in just six weeks. Their record amount of £52,000 was set three years ago and they hope to beat that this year.
 
They collected for the Air Ambulance for four years, but have now switched to the Georgina Ward Unit Appeal Fund  which is based at Russells Hall Hospital (phone number to follow soon) and raises funds for the leukaemia unit there. It has enabled the unit to buy vital bits of equipment that will ultimately improve standards of living for patients and save lives. This year they are collecting for a bed that massages the patient so that they have a more comfortable stay in hospital. The good will and generosity people both locally and nationally have shown to Leonard Road over the years is simply amazing. And this year is no exception as Cliff explains:

 

'The collection for this year is now well over £9,000. On Friday we had a group of people come into the street singing Christmas songs...we later found out that they are a team of doctors from Russells Hall Hospital and they call themselves "The Singing Doctors", we've asked them to come back and we hope they'll return over the weekend. We have had people from all over coming to see the lights -  Scotland, the USA, and even the Ukraine'

  
 
 
So when do you start planning your display?

‘We start planning as soon as this year’s displays are taken down.  We already have an idea for next year’s and from my experience the lights will be bigger and better than ever!’
 


Advice.

For those who might be inspired to try a simlar scheme in their street, Cliff and Sue stress that you must go through the proper channels when collecting for charity. It's important that you either register as a charity (which can be a very difficult process that involves a lot of time and paperwork for all concerned); or perhaps better to approach an established charity which will collect the money for you and see to all the paperwork, the legal aspects,  secure money collection and liaise with both the council and police. 

 
The other thing to remember of course is that a project the size of Leonard Road is a massive undertaking and it's important that you have a strong team of residents that will help out and plan all year round.

Finally it's important to acknowledge that Cliff and Sue Buckley are just two of the Leonard Road residents that create this festive extravaganza every year. Other members of the team include: Frank Reed, Colin & Sue Hutton, Barbara , Arthur, Mary and Debbie Tolley, Sheila Littlewood and many more. 

 

 

 

HoHoHo salutes them all – long may they continue to bring light and cheer to the streets of Wollaston.

 

 

 

 

Charity details: Georgina Ward Unit Appeal Fund - based at Russells Hall Hospital. We will be posting a phone number soon so that visitors to HoHoHo can find out how to support the charity.