Willingdon house creates miniature Christmas village to raise money for charity

Allen and Sandra Martin have created the miniature village within their conservatory for the last 10 years. This year it features around 5,000 lights and 200 miniature houses/festive scenes.

Allen said: “Sandra started collecting them around 15 years ago and we’d do a small table in the conservatory. The collection grew from there and then 10 years ago we had such a lot that we decided to collect for charity. One year we raised around £600 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice. It fills the whole conservatory now.”

This is the first time the attraction has been on since Covid and is collecting for You Raise Me Up, a Polegate-based charity that supports people who have suffered the loss of someone special. Allen said: “We thought their aim was a brilliant idea. We always support local charities.”

You can find the display at 141 Seven Sisters Road until January 2. Lights are switched on at 5pm and you can just knock on the door to see the village and lights. Lights are then switched off at 9pm. Allen said: “Dads are just as excited as the children, we get a lot of older couples too that then bring back their grandchildren. An ice rink scene with moving figures is the newest addition. We’re always on the lookout for new models and we get given them as presents from family and friends too. Some play music which we switch on when visitors arrive, but luckily they have a mute system too.”

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