AUDREY Malcolm’s love of Christmas decorations has grown from a family display with her grand daughter Belle Beau helping pick the ornaments to a street extravaganza attracting folks from across the town and raising money for local good causes.
Today, she presented cheques to Cash for Kids, £530 (inc gift aid); Friends of Kincardine Community Hospital, £648; and Stonehaven Land Train, £648.
The fund-raising light up is a labour of love including all the family. Audrey is helped by her daugher Sarah, son-in-law James and grandchildren. They got to work on last year’s display around November 22, when the garden was still covered in snow and looked ‘awesome’.
With around fifty features in her garden it took the team five hours on the Friday night to assemble new items and then all day Saturday from 8am to around 5pm to arrange everything in the garden. Then they stand back and wait for all the admiring passers-by.
More than just lights
Audrey has music playing every day and night until around 9pm and often sees people dancing as they admire the display. And she has enjoyed some special moments too.
”I have a projector that has Santa waving from a window and last year a local girl stood on my path and waved. It was the most awesome picture of a moment of “I believe” you would ever find,” she said.
And of course her neighbours are now joining in
”The neighbours starting from No1 Farrochie Park and the ones after me also get involved and that is growing every year, which is great and the kids love it.
”Next years new lights have already been bought and the plan is in place and there will be a twist to the lights this year with another neighbour getting involved and adding something that will make everyone laugh.”
She added: ”Without the neighbours it also wouldn’t be as good as it is. You can actually see the brightness from the lights as you pass the shops at Redcloak.”
Santa comes too
Every year the Stonehaven Round Table choose a night to take Santa for a visit and stay to enjoy hot chocolate and freshly baked cakes Audrey takes out to everyone.
She said: ”It’s now become a street tradition for the kids to wait at the end of the road to watch for Santa coming. This year the plan is to have popcorn being made fresh from a neighbour and also for Northsound Cash for Kids to appear when Santa is there.”
Turning festive fun to fundraising
Seeing the numbers of people driving past increase in 2022, Audrey decided to put out a collection box as every penny raised could help some local cause.
And, with a beautiful charity box made by the Stonehaven Mens Shed, Audrey was able to present cheques totalling £975 in 2023 and £1125 from Christmas 2024.
A&I boost donations and store the Christmas bear!
Audrey is grateful to her work colleagues for their contribution to the whole event.
She said: ”My work, A&I Coaches Ltd (Dash Cabs and A&I Taxis), very generously double the amount every year that we donate to Cash for Kids.
”They are also great by helping supply the vehicles – and our employees dress as elves to support the Stonehaven Round Table Santa Sleigh going round the town. Without them a lot of it wouldn’t happen as when I buy large decorations their roof space is great for storing them. Last year it was a 10-foot Christmas Bear. ”
No plans to stop
”I never started it for the donations,” said Audrey.
”I started it as I just love Christmas and my Grand daughter Belle Beau helps pick out the new decorations. If I stopped it now she would say I was just not making an effort and I would never hear the end of it.
”We do it as it makes us smile seeing other people happy when they visit the lights.”
Feature image – A&I director Stephane Tchamdjou Yossa, left, and Audrey present a cheque to George Reid of the Stonehaven Land Train – with driver Gary Brindley and A&I director Graham Budge, right, looking on.