Experience with hardship is one reason for Andrew Goodale’s Christmas lights display at his Annesbrook home.
The father of three and stepfather of one wasn’t always cheery each time December rolled around, but catastrophic events in recent years have shone a light on the importance of bringing smiles to those doing it tough this festive season.
In 2015, an electric blanket fire at his family’s Masefield St home razed a master bedroom and ensuite and, three years later, a flood wiped out the downstairs area of their Towai St rental.
It was rebuilt by the landlord, but in 2019, the family endured another fire, which this time saw the house gutted due to a faulty water cylinder switch.
It destroyed everything but the clothes worn by the family as they fled to their car.
“It can be pretty rough at Christmas time for people that can’t afford things. So, if they can come around, have a smile and enjoy the lights, then that’s what it’s all about,” he says.
“This is my third year doing the lights, the first two years were when we were in Masefield St, and this is our first year at 39 Cawthron Crescent.”
Andrew says the final count this year was 251 plugs.
“I run everything off smart meters so that I am aware of how many amperages I’m pulling off each plug and I am fortunate enough to have some outside plugs in that this year,” he says.
“I’ve also built special weatherproof boxes for all the plugs to go into… and the new LEDs, they use very little power, so we don’t notice a huge spike in the power bill."
Andrew says his display’s lighting features are garnered from retail stores, online, and from locals who’ve previously decked the halls. Other features he’s opted to make himself include a 6.7-metre-tall Christmas tree, a Santa sleigh with a bubble machine, a Polar Express train with smoke effects and a large reindeer shadow wall. It took him around four months to build and paint these items before he even began to install the lights.
“We’ve had five or six sponsors come on board this year which have donated money towards funding and extending the display, which is awesome,” he says.
“The bubble machine on the Santa sleigh goes through about 80 to 100 litres of bubble mixture through the month of December, and the smoke machine is going to go through 20 or 30 litres of smoke mixture.
“We also hand out candy canes and bubbles to children, I think I’ve got about 5500 candy canes to hand out this year.”
Andrew says this is the second year he’ll use his light display as a platform for donations to the Stoke Volunteer Fire Brigade to give back for their support in the Goodale’s adversities.
“We do three sausage sizzles each year and proceeds from that go towards Stoke brigade as well. Last year we raised just under $2500 so we’re hoping we can hit that target again this year.”
The lights will switch off on 4 January.
