No Grinches, please, say Christmas-lights family
Each year, the Haines family transform their Fish Hoek home into a Christmas fantasy land with thousands of colourful lights and decorations that turn heads and warm hearts.
But the family say they have noticed some decidedly Grinch-like behaviour in the past, and they have asked visitors to their home to be considerate.
Originally from California, in America, Matthew Haines has loved Christmas lights since he was a boy.
Since 2006, the family have welcomed visitors to see their spectacular light display, which Mr Haines starts immediately after taking down Halloween decorations on November 1. It takes about three-and-a-half weeks to set it up.
Every year, the display gets bigger, and with the addition of the LED roof lights that Mr Haines brought back from America earlier this year, their light count has reached just over 200 000.
In a Facebook post announcing this year’s switch-on, Mr Haines's wife, Emily, said she had noted some not-so-nice behaviour from the community during the Halloween display this year with people who arrived after the lights were switched off shouting or hooting for them to be switched back on.
She urged visitors to remember that this is their home and they have neighbours.
“I don’t want to come off as disrespectful or harsh, but my husband works really hard on his display, and I cannot allow any more disrespectful behaviour,” Ms Haines said.
Her post asks visitors to respect the barriers, not touch the lights, and to remember that their home is a tobacco-free one.
“This past Halloween, we had a man flick his lit cigarette butt into our garden, which is unacceptable,” Ms Haines said.
This year, they’ve added a new surprise for the little ones in the form of a “Letters to Santa” postbox, which Mr Haines said was all his wife's doing after her mother suggested it.
“Emily found a vintage wash basin on Facebook Marketplace, and with the help of Christine Andrews, a muralist who painted the trek fishermen at the beach, she brought it to life, turning it into a postbox similar to the vintage American ones she would see on road trips with her parents as a little girl,” the father of four said.
According to Mr Haines, their electricity bill can get pretty crazy, but they usually plan for it all year
“Thankfully this year, my employer, Anvil Property Smith, is graciously sponsoring the bill,” he said.
With donations from visitors, the Haines family have donated to The Emma Animal Rescue Society (Tears) and Living Hope over the years. This year, along with Living Hope, they'll be helping Drake's Academy, a men's gymnastics academy in Fish Hoek, to get sprung floors.
While there has been some unpleasant behaviour, the Haineses say they want everyone, young and old, to enjoy their light display.
“To see how much Christmas joy our display spreads is truly magical,” Ms Haines said.
Residents in Fish Hoek seem to agree. Commenting on Facebook, Emma Wingrove, said, “Your house brings so much joy and delight to everyone, we drive past it many times to see your lights; they are spectacular.” And Sharon Cussons added, “You guys make Christmas like it used to be in the old days.”
The Christmas lights at 3 Lady Grey Street will be displayed from 8pm to 10pm from Sunday to Thursday and from 8pm to 11pm on Friday and Saturday until Sunday December 25.
