A greener Christmas as price of lighting up home soars

Eric Marshall has been illuminating his home in the North Yorkshire village of Bagby with a glittering Christmas lights show for more than two decades, raising thousands of pounds for good causes in the process.

But the pensioner, who will celebrate his 73rd birthday on Wednesday, admitted that he is now having to scale back the time he can leave the lights on amid the soaring cost of energy bills.

Mr Marshall told the Yorkshire Post that he is now turning off the lights at least two hours earlier each evening and is increasingly using more power-efficient LED displays.

Research shows the average energy bill in the UK has soared by more than 150 per cent since 2004, and Mr Marshall has estimated that it now costs him over £300 to keep the lights on from December 1 to Twelfth Night in January.

He said: “It is costing more and more each year, but I will continue for as long as I can because the lights raise money for such good cases.

“But I am having to look at ways to save money, because it is proving to be so expensive. Everyone always talks about a white Christmas, but I am having to look to a greener Christmas by using LED lights and switching the lights off earlier.

“However, the display has become such a big part of Christmas not just for me but for the hundreds of visitors we get every year that I intend to try and carry on for a couple of years yet.”

Mr Marshall’s festive landmark in the village near Thirsk attracts visitors from across Yorkshire and the North of England, including Scarborough, Leeds and Sheffield as well as Durham, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.

But he was left shocked when a film crew from Hollywood contacted him last year to send a film crew over from Los Angeles to capture footage of his Christmas lights display for a television documentary.

The Yorkshire Post revealed in January that a six-strong US crew and their PA had travelled to Bagby to film the lights for a Discovery Channel show.

Mr Marshall had thought it was a friend playing a prank when he had initially picked up the phone to find a caller claiming to be 
from Tinseltown on the other 
end.

The film crew was due to visit at Christmas but could not fly into Heathrow Airport because of the severe weather which swept across Britain last winter.

So putting superstition aside, Mr Marshall, a retired print manager, agreed to leave the Christmas lights up until filming was completed on January 16.

Mr Marshall, who lives with his wife, Jean, has remained in contact with the film crew, who have invited him to visit Hollywood – an offer he says he would love to take up.

He added: “When they came over they absolutely loved Yorkshire, and especially the accent. We made some good friends while they were here, and I’d love to go and see Hollywood one day myself.”

Mr Marshall confirmed that the money raised from this year’s display will be given to the village’s St Mary’s Church to help pay for the running costs of the building.

A box for donations is outside his home for visitors, and Mr Marshall raised more than £600 for the church last year.

His work to raise funds for 
good causes also sees him run a miniature railway round his garden throughout the summer, 
with money collected from visitors going to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mr Marshall has had a passion for trains since his childhood which grew while his father, Jim, was a traction engine driver.

He said: “I couldn’t do the Christmas displays without the help of my wife, and we do put a lot of effort into it.

“However, the day will come when we will have to call it a day. But up until that point I hope people who come to see us still get as much enjoyment out of the lights as we do.”