Introduction
An unassuming residential street in Stourbridge in England's West
Midlands, Leonard Road undergoes an amazing transformation every
Christmas season.
More than 30 households in the street spend months adorning their house
and garden with thousands of fairy lights and other decorations ready for the
big switch-on at the start of December.
The ceremony, attended by a celebrity and media coverage, consists of
a firework display and radio roadshow.
History
The custom began in 1977 when Harry and Glenis Shaw decked their house
out to amuse their Down's Syndrome daughter, Rachel. During the following
quarter-century, they have convinced more and more neighbours to join in the
fun; even beginning a competition to see who could put on the best display.
Since the late 1990s, the event has also had a fundraising element with
volunteers along the street collecting for the local air-ambulance fund.
The 2001 display comprised of 30 homes and raised £52,000 (around $83,000)
for the fund.
The event is now playfully dubbed Stourbridge Illuminations.
N52°27'16" W2°10'17" WGS 84
Sources:
http://www.stourbridge.co.uk/htm/leonard.htm
http://www.thisistheblackcountry.co.uk/the_black_country/archive/2002/07/04/stourb_news_weekly11ZM.html
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