Dian and Lloyd Manderson have been adorning their house with Christmas decorations for the past 12 years and manage to improve their ­display every time.

They started with just a couple of Santa Claus figures in their front yard and Mrs Manderson said it just developed from there.

“Each year it’s got bigger,” she said.

Having eight grandchildren between them, they thoroughly delight in being able to put on the show for them and all who come to visit, she said.

“I enjoy seeing the children, it gives me great pleasure to do it for them,” Mrs Manderson said.

The process takes about a month from unpacking the items that have been in storage to putting the last light up in time for the start of December.

Once the lights are up and on, the couple sits out the front, giving lollies to the children who come to visit and collecting donations for the Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Mrs Manderson decided to start collecting for the charity because her daughter used to work at the hospital and she knows children from Cessnock have spent time there.

“I think it’s a worthwhile cause,” she said.

This year’s lights display will feature a little bit of a surprise each night from about 8pm each night until New Year’s Eve.

Mrs Manderson said the lights would continue each year as long as she and Mr Manderson were able to put them up.

The Mercury is looking for the most impressive Christmas light displays in the Hunter to feature in the newspaper and on an online Christmas Lights Map.

Do you have an impressive Christmas lights display? Add your house or business to the Hunter’s Christmas Lights Map. 

Simply fill in the form including your name, address and a photograph of your display and it will be added to the map.

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