Eileen Simpson and her son Fraser outside the family home in Leven which has been lit up in memory of friend Les Rae who died of cancer in October. The effort is helping to raise money towards the Maggie’s Centre in Kirkcaldy.

Display this year is in memory of lost friend

More than 8,000 festive lights twinkle on the Fife home of Richard and Eileen Simpson.

Each one is a reminder of their friend Les Rae, who lost his life to cancer in October, helping raise money in his memory.

The couple, well-known in Leven for their impressive illuminations, had decided to tone down their decorations for 2017.

However, when Les died they were inspired to make this year special and help the Maggie’s Centre in Kirkcaldy, which provides support for people fighting cancer.

When Les’s granddaughter Sophia, 7, switched on the lights at their home in Coldstream Crescent, they raised £1,500.

For the first time, Richard and Eileen have launched a fundraising page online and Richard said: “The response has been fantastic.

“We had about 70 people here for the switch-on and raised £1,500 on Saturday alone.”

Installing the strings of lights is such an undertaking Richard starts the job in November.

He said: “I do a couple of hours here and a couple of hours there. It must take about three days in total. There are 8,000 and a bit lights this year.”

Richard began putting up lights outside the family home when his children were young and his collection snowballed.

Every wall, doorway, window frame and tree is bedecked and strings of bulbs run across the roof.

Although his son and daughter are grown-up now, aged 23 and 20, he still likes to put on his display as a treat for other youngsters.

He said: “All the local kids come round to see. My wife works in a primary school and the children are always talking about the lights and asking when they are going to go on.”

Donations can be made at justgiving. com/fundraising/richard-simpson16

Pictures: Steven Brown. Eileen Simpson and her son Fraser outside their decorated home in Coldstream Crescent, Leven. Below: some of the family’s other decorations, which this year are dedicated to a friend who recently died from cancer.