By Tamsin Brown • Published: 25 Dec 2021 • 22:30
Image: YouTube
A Christmas-mad British couple has spent £20,000 creating an extravagant festive model village.
Pauline and Rob Sollis, aged 66 and 62, respectively, have spent two decades collecting more than 2,000 Christmas-themed miniature pieces which include houses, a zoo, a cathedral and even a theme park with a big wheel.
The pair, who are retired and live in Chichester, England, display their collection with pride every year in their garage. They decorate their garden with a zone called “the North Pole”, where they have included snowmen and penguins, a nativity scene, 1-metre toy soldiers and angels.
A surprising addiction to Christmas figurines has led them to become popular in their city, where they continuously receive visitors who are always impressed upon seeing the giant model village.
They say that when people enter the garage, they burst into tears because it is such a wonderful experience and they have never seen anything like it before.
The couple began to collect the decorations in 2000, starting with some lights. It was nothing spectacular at first, but over the years collection started to grow. Each time Christmas comes around, more and more people come to visit the couple’s house to see the collection.
They have also accepted donations from organisations, and there is a special piece each year. This year it is a nativity scene.
According to Pauline and Rob, the experience is enjoyed by young and old alike, and they normally put the decorations up at the start of November.
“Everything turns on and it’s probably one of the good things about this; we like seeing the smile on children’s faces,” said the couple.
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Originally from London, Tamsin is based in Malaga and is a local reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering Spanish and international news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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