A family of snowmen greet visitors down a lane off Harrowfield Drive.
A family of snowmen greet visitors down a lane off Harrowfield Drive.
The Harrowfield Christmas lights competition is a much-loved fixture on Hamilton's Christmas calendar.
This year Lodge Real Estate again sponsored the competition and upped the stakes by putting up $2000 in cash to be split among the winners.
Lodge branch manager Richard Lindsay, his wife Monica and I were invited to judge the entries last Wednesday.
An elf and his trusty friend at the winning house at 34 Harrowfield Drive.
We were suitably impressed with the effort families had gone to, as I'm sure the hundreds of other Hamiltonians were who had turned up to see the lights. Cars playing Christmas carols toured the area along with a trio of packed buses while others strolled the streets together admiring the festive decorations.
Richard, Monica and I were in slight disagreement as to who should take out top place, so we deferred to my seven-year-old daughter who'd come along with us. While she loved that she had been able to visit Santa at what would take out second place, she was mesmerised by the display at 34 Harrowfield Drive. There, Steve and Liz Smyth had done an outstanding job.
There were two Santas on display, a mass of colourful lights all around their property, Christmas music playing, a classic ute parked in the driveway with the number plate SANTA1, an elf out the front with his trusty dog who was happy to be patted, an enormous Merry Christmas flag waving in the breeze and a snow machine.
The attention to detail clinched them the win, taking out $1000.
A close second went to Bill Crook and Kathy Wright-St Clair at 17 Harrowfield Drive. Their display was extensive and had the added drawcard of Santa perched on the front step for photos and dishing out lollipops. They took away $500 for their efforts.
Third place went to Duncan and Angela Smith at 78 Harrowfield Drive.
Their display was modern and colourful and coordinated to music which was playing through an FM station. They netted $300 for themselves. There were eight merit prize winners too.
