Christmas: Portchester couple prepares to dazzle by transforming home into winter wonderland

A Portchester home in The Crossways has been transformed into a winter paradise for the past 17 years in a bid to raise money for charity - and this year is no different.

Bill and Barbara Wright have been hard at work in order to get their bungalow ready for the festive season. Along with help from their sons, the couple have started the process of embellishing their home with thousands of Christmas lights.

Bill said: “This year I started in the middle of October. Last year the weather was so terrible, it was rain after rain so we started earlier and typically, the weather has been fine.

“I am hoping to get the same amount of money as we made last year.

“People always say to me ‘are you doing the lights this year?’ and everyone seems to know about it in the area and it’s a great feeling and they all support the cause.”

This year, the pair will be flipping the switch on their luminous tableau on December 1 between 4:30pm and 8:30pm and they will remain on until January 5, 2025. The spectacular lights attract hundreds of people annually and over the past four years, the pair have raised £11,500 for Woodsy’s Food Bank.

Complete with penguins, deer, snowmen and Santas, the Christmas display will definitely be something to see.

For more information about the breathtaking display, click here.