Couple scoop Christmas lights windfall

AN Ipswich couple are celebrating today after winning The Evening Star's Christmas lights competition.

Val and Fioravanti Masullo's beautifully adorned home in Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, takes first place with 651 votes in the Evening Star's web poll out of more than 1,000 votes cast.

The couple's decorations have now won them £500 in Focus DIY vouchers.

Mrs Masullo, 61, said: “I'm taken aback really and quite surprised to win!

“We've been doing it for a few years now and next year it would be nice to do a collection box for charity.

“I think the decorations give the children something nice to look at and a lot of mothers and fathers come along and look with their children, which is lovely.

“It brightens up the road and Christmas is a time when you're suppose to be joyful and happy and the decorations help to make people feel like that.”

The detached house had an impressive selection of fairy lights, a blow-up Santa, a light-up penguin, a Santa on his sleigh and a big bright sign wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

A spectacular Christmas display in aid of St Elizabeth's Hospice won second place in the competition with 259 votes and a property in The Street, in Nacton, came third with 17.

Sue Gipps, sales and marketing manager at the Star, said: “This is the first year we have held the competition and it was very successful.

“I'm grateful to all those who took part and to Focus for giving us such a fabulous prize.”

Jill Gater, from Focus, said: “The vouchers will be a terrific extra present in the winner's Christmas stocking and can be used to treat friends and family, or could even be spent in January to ward off the post Christmas blues.”

Has your street been cheered up by festive decorations? What do you think?

Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.