"I'm not getting any younger": Luton's Mr Christmas says farewell to charity light tradition with appearance on TV
A man from Luton who has decorated his house in more than 75,000 lights for 23 years has decided to hang up his Santa hat, and revealed his reason for ending the tradition during a TV interview.
Anthony O’Toole hosted his final Christmas light switch-on at the start of the month, marking the end of a cherished tradition that has brightened his street in Fallowfield for 23 years.
This morning (Monday), Anthony appeared on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show when he was made one of the host’s ‘Christmas Stars’.
When Jeremy asked why it is the last time he will be doing this, ‘Mr Christmas’ said: “I’m not getting any younger. The legs don't work as well as they used to, and climbing up and down ladders takes it out of me.”
Over the years, Anthony has raised £120,000 for charity and has spent hours every night sat outside dressed as Father Christmas.
While he has thousands of lights on his house, he said: “It actually costs about five pound a night to run. Unlike the old days, the LEDs are amazing.”
Anthony’s charity of choice has been the Cystic Fibrosis Trust (CFT) after his niece, Siobhan Kirby, was diagnosed with the condition.
He added: “Many years ago, when I started to learn a little bit more about it and the fact that they don't get enough support for doing the research that's needed for the new medication, I started to raise a bit of money for them, and it's gone on for me. [The Trust] come here when I put the lights on.”
Jeremy placed a star with Anthony’s picture on the studio’s tree.