SIMON Whitmarsh makes Christmas for the people of Whitchurch - literally.

For the sixth year running he and his wife Mary have handcrafted decorations to magically transform their garden into a grotto Santa would be proud to sit in.

It takes a whole month for all the 4,000 lights to be strung up and the handmade figures to be arranged to create the perfect Christmas scene, all in aid of local children's hospice Naomi House.

"I really enjoy it," said Simon. "People are just amazed by it. Kids come in and there's so much to see they don't know what to look at first."

Most evenings up to 20 people come to marvel at the grotto, putting a donation in a metal letter box for the hospice.

Simon, who is now running out of room to store all the decorations, raised more than £500 for the hospice last year.