The Illsleys' Christmas Lights in Washington, Sunderland have been switched on for 2024.
Dad-of-two Bradley Illsley talks about spreading festive cheer, and raising money for the Heel and Toe Children’s Charity.
Dad-of-two Bradley Illsley talks about spreading festive cheer, and raising money for the Heel and Toe Children’s Charity.
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00:00It's something that we've gathered over the years from family and it's just gradually
00:06getting bigger and bigger as the years go on. My name's Bradley Ilsley and I'm here at the
00:12Ilsley's Christmas Lights display. It started with me nan. It was just a couple of silhouettes on the
00:17wall and some icicles and then as I got older I took over and it's just started getting bigger
00:25I must have been about 16. You can see the difference every year of pictures and stuff when
00:33we do the switch on and that but we've only done the switch on this will be the third year now
00:40so it's gradually getting out there. As it was getting popular people started saying that we
00:47should do it for charity and that and then I looked into it and this will be our fourth year
00:53now doing it for charity. We're raising money for the Healing to Children's charity and this
00:58will be our second year doing it for them. We've got a QR code and obviously the donation bucket
01:05but any donations are more than welcome. This is currently my mam's house that I do the lights at
01:11and obviously me and my partner live somewhere else but we're not looking at moving the display
01:18because I enjoy doing it here and this is where everybody knows.
01:30It normally takes me about three weeks to put it all up and then test it obviously but other than
01:37that it's just getting the time to do it. I currently have a part-time job and my time off
01:44from work is what I do to come and do the lights. I'm just trying to fit it in with school runs and
01:53everything else. I've got a son and daughter, they love it. They're always pestering me asking me to
01:59get it out and all that. Oh it's really nice, it smiles on people's faces, it just lightens everything up.