• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Culture / Christmas / London Couple use thousands of lights to create elaborate charitable Christmas display

London Couple use thousands of lights to create elaborate charitable Christmas display

Dec 6, 2021 By Londontopia Staff Leave a Comment

A man who was diagnosed with leukemia is raising money for a blood cancer charity by creating an elaborate Christmas display outside his and his partner’s house.

Peter Elliott, 71, has spent a month putting up thousands of lights on his home in Romford, east London, to raise money for Leukaemia Care and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He creates the display each year to raise money for GOSH and other charities, but decided to raise funds for the cancer charity this year following his treatment.

Mr. Elliott was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2021. He created a pared-down display last year as he had Covid-19 at the time.

Peter Elliott's lights display
The couple’s home in Romford (Jonathan Brady/PA)

However this year the display has returned to its full glory and features Santa’s grotto with rocking horses, five Father Christmases, elves, reindeer, and stars.

There is also a 17ft star on the roof of his home, which he shares with his partner Lesley Haylett, 61.

Mr. Elliott told the PA news agency: “I’ve been doing it every year for about 38 years. Every year I try to do something different – so I’ve built gingerbread houses, castles, pirates’ things, lots of different things.

“Every year we raise money for GOSH because my grandchild was in Great Ormond Street years ago, and this year Leukaemia Care, because they’ve been really supportive after I was told my blood count was low and needed to be checked out. I just think it’s a good way to show your appreciation.”

Christmas lights
The couple are raising money for Great Ormond Street as well as Leukemia Care, after Peter was diagnosed with the disease in February (Jonathan Brady/PA)

He added: “It started off with just a string of lights. We’ve got some elderly people who live across the road and they sent us a Christmas card saying how much they liked the lights, and it’s just grown from there. People come and see it from all over.”

One feature from the couple’s display is missing this year.

Two 6ft statues of comics Laurel and Hardy, which Ms. Haylett bought for her partner 40 years ago, were stolen from outside their home in the summer.

A £10,000 reward for their safe return has been offered by Dean Floyd, on behalf of his construction company, Chigwell Group, but the statues have not been seen since.

Peter Elliott's lights display
Mr Elliott said he is delighted to be able to make the display this year (Jonathan Brady/PA)

It was the fourth time they had been stolen. Last time they returned after three years.

Mr. Elliott said: “Hopefully they’ll come back. I was gutted when they were nicked again. The house is known for them and the Christmas decorations.

“I found out they’d been taken when I was in hospital for a bone marrow transplant. They didn’t want to tell me they’d gone again.”

He added that he was delighted that he was able to make the display this year as it was a little “touch and go” because of his diagnosis.

“It feels terrific to see it done,” he said.

Ms. Haylett said: “We’re really proud of him. A lot of people get cancer and then just lock themselves away. But he’s just been trying to carry on as he always does.”

Londontopia Staff
Author: Londontopia Staff

This article was submitted and adapted by Londontopia Staff and used with a license from the Press Association UK (PA Media). All images and content used with permission.

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Christmas, London News

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About Londontopia Staff

This article was submitted and adapted by Londontopia Staff and used with a license from the Press Association UK (PA Media). All images and content used with permission.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • What London West End Show do you most want to see?
  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • The Fiver – Five of the Best Walks in London
  • London Underground: Our 25 Top Tube Usage Tips for London Travelers
  • The Fiver – London’s Oldest Hospitals
  • Ten More of the Best Independent Cinemas in London
  • The Drain: A Brief History of the Waterloo & City Line
  • The Fiver – Five American-style Diners in London
  • 10 Interesting Facts and Figures about Oxford Street
  • Tube History: A Brief History of the Victoria Line
  • The Fiver:  Five of the Most Expensive Restaurants in London
  • Top London Transport YouTubers To Subscribe To

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

London Underground: Our 25 Top Tube Usage Tips for London Travelers

Tube History: A Brief History of the Victoria Line

Top London Transport YouTubers To Subscribe To

10 Interesting Facts about the Bakerloo Line

A Brief History of the London Overground

Ten Interesting Facts about the District Line

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in