Couple adorn home with Willy Wonka-themed Christmas lights

Michael Fenning, 39, and Paul Fenning, 33, have covered the outside of their Doncaster home in oompa loompas, golden tickets, hundreds of blinking multi-coloured lights and one dashing Willy Wonka.

Inside their home stand four Wonka-themed Christmas trees, along with sweet decorations and lights adorning everywhere from the kitchen-dining room to the bedroom, living room and back garden.

Michael, who works for a bakery, told the PA news agency: “We just love seeing kids’ faces light up when they see the house when they come around the corner.”

The couple began elaborately decorating their home during the first Covid lockdown, with their first house lighting project being the Grinch.

Michael said: “We did the Grinch and obviously because no one had anything to do it just went berserk and people just came out in droves and it was just mental.”

“Crowds of people were coming around to see the house and see the lights and then literally it’s just been a thing that we’ve done every year since then.”

Since then, they have adorned their home for special holidays, including Frozen last Christmas.

Paul, who works for an energy company and as a makeup artist, told PA that local people had been messaging the couple on Facebook inquiring about their lighting display this year and there was “a little bit of pressure” to out-do their displays from previous years.

They chose Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as their theme this year as it is a movie “that is on every Christmas, so many families watch it, and then obviously the new one is coming out,” Michael said.

Michael said, because of the Instagram on which they share photos of their lighting displays, @cherrytree.home, “people…go ‘Oh my God, you’re the Christmas house, you guys are the Christmas guys!’”.

“When I was a kid back in the 90s, you weren’t able to get hold of the kind of lights and things that you can now but the houses that made an effort, you remember them, you really do remember them and that’s what me and Paul like to think.”

He said: “All we’ve done is literally reuse the things we have, except for a couple of cut outs and things that are Wonka-themed, just to do it again.”

“Because purse strings are tight and everyone hasn’t got the money to spend, it’s just great to see people come out and see something for free.”

The couple, who have been together for around 15 years and remarried in May after previously divorcing, place a bucket outside the house when they have decorated it to collect money for various charities.

Michael said: “People come to the house and do the giving so it’s all down to them.”

He continued said: “Christmas is a time about giving and that’s the thing about us doing the lights; it’s about giving and just letting people know that you can come out and do things for free and see things that are going to make your kids happy and smile.”

“It’s just great to see that we have that imprint or lasting effect on people’s lives, just being able to spread joy and cheer.”

Paul said: “With the last couple of years feeling slightly strange with Covid, it’s just nice to keep that Christmas magic alive”.