A widow whose hero husband made children smile in hospital on Christmas Day has vowed to keep lighting up her home in his memory.
Bernadine Horrocks, 66, has been attracting excited families to her Dukinfield bungalow for years as her and devoted husband Stephen put up dazzling festive displays in the run up to the big day.
Stephen passed away just five days before Christmas last year from heart failure, aged 66. Bernadine later uncovered letters from Tameside Hospital, thanking him for making the poorly children and nurses smile every Christmas morning.
She told the Manchester Evening New s that for years he would go out for a couple of hours on December 25 - but never revealed where he was visiting.
It later became clear that each year, he had gone to the children's ward at the hospital with toys and gifts for the youngsters and the nurses working in the hospital.
This year, it is Bernadine's second Christmas without Stephen - but she has vowed to continue lighting up her house on Dewsnap Lane, Dukinfield, and putting on the dazzling displays for as long as she can in his memory.
Bernadine told the Manchester Evening News: "It was my husband that used to do it. Wherever we have lived we have been known as the house with the Christmas lights, and children used to look out for them every year.
"He would disappear every Christmas morning and tell us he was going out. He never said where he had been or anything, until I found letters from the hospital thanking him. He used to go to the children's ward and cheer them up, taking toys for the children and some gifts for the nurses.
"Christmas was his thing. He absolutely loved it, and people have said to me it is so ironic that he passed away so close to Christmas last year. Everyone knew him, he just used to love making people happy and cheerful."
Stephen battled diabetes and had both of his legs amputated. As his health declined, he would still be very involved in the decorations each year, instructing Bernadine and friends where to position the lights from his wheelchair.
And in the years leading up to his death, Bernadine said her late husband, who 'loved' the festivities, would sit on the stairs and wait for giddy children to walk past, before turning on the snow machines in the front garden.
"For the last six or so years he hasn't been able to go to the hospital because he lost his legs," she added. "So he started doing the lights instead.
"Every year it has just gotten bigger and bigger. This year, the turnout for the switch on was just amazing. So many people came, it was overwhelming.
"The traffic was held up all the way down the street because so many people came out to see it. It is so nice to give this to people.
"I don't worry about the electricity bill, I haven't put a value on what it costs. It is just special to be able to do something like this for people and their children and I will carry on for as long as I can."
In 2020, Bernadine and Stephen raised £1,300 with their winter wonderland, which was donated to Tameside Hospital and split, with £650 to the children’s ward and £650 to the neonatal unit.
This year, Bernadine is raising money for the children's ward and baby unit at Tameside Hospital. There is a red post box at the front of the house where people can give money, or donations can also be made online at GoFundMe.
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