Festive garden aids hospice
A Scarborough man has created a spectacular festive scene in his back garden to raise thousands of pounds for Saint Catherine’s Hospice. Nigel Watkinson, from Newby, has transformed his garden into a magical winter wonderland, complete with miniature railway, in a bid to raise funds for the cause. Mr Watkinson chose to support the charity to thank them for the care they gave his father, who passed away earlier this year from cancer.
He will open his garden again next year to raise money for Marie Curie who he says were also exceptional during his father’s final days. Santa’s Garden was first opened by a friend of Mr Watkinson who passed away unexpectedly. Mr Watkinson, who had always helped to set up the garden, decided to take on the endeavour and open his own garden to the public on an appointment only basis.
He said: “We started getting ready in August, there are 280 sets of lights and over 1,000 metres of rope holding it all in place. "The lights are all LEDs which will cost about £100 to run for the month, but we are talking to our electricity supplier to see if they will support us with the cost.
"The appointments are all fully booked and this year we’ve been able to increase the slots from 200 to 500. "Last year we made £2,100 so with more than double the appointments this year, we’re hoping to crack £3,000.”
Santa’s Garden will be open every day until Christmas Eve.