Lights out for Bonnyrigg festive favourite

The Bonnyrigg man who has exuded Christmas spirit for more than a decade is calling time on his festive lights, with this year being his last.

Rose Findlay and Davie Brown in Bonnyrigg.

Davie Brown (62) has delighted locals young and old with this Christmas lights display for 11 years. In that time he has raised £24,000 for Marie Curie from collections at his Polton Street home. But following his wife Ann’s passing in August he no longer feels he can continue. This year he has been helped by Rose Findlay and Patricia Telfer in fundraising to buy the sweets he gives out to kids.

He said: “When my wife was alive we did it together. And planned it out.

“To continue to do it will just be too costly for me. It costs £1,200 just for the sweets. We forked out the money ourselves and took nothing back. Every penny went to Marie Curie.

David's house last Christmas.

“I feel sorry for the bairns. Every year my wife and I got a kick out of seeing their faces when they met Santa Claus and got sweets.

“That’s what I will miss. Seeing their faces and my wife at the window looking down. I will still be Santa for the bairns and make the toys for them. I make wooden trains and trucks. Last year we made 52.”

Davie is currently in discussions with Bonnyrigg Community Council about the group taking the lights and generators to display elsewhere.

Looking back, Davie added: “I have lots of brilliant memories. However, every time someone took a picture nobody sent them to me. It would be nice to see them.”

Send your photos of Davie’s lights over the years to [email protected] and we will pass them on.

Rose Findlay, who is helping Davie this year, said: “I have thee upmost respect for this man, and I’m so grateful he let me and Pat help him this year.

“Many folk have offered sweets and donations, and for once I hope we have raised enough so it’s not coming out of his own pocket.

“For 11 years he has came out in all weathers to decorate his garden with beautiful lights, had loads of pics taken, given out thousands of sweets and shown the meaning of Christmas. Plus he has raise thousands of pounds for his and Ann’s chosen charity.”

Donate to this year’s fund at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rose-findlay.