IT HAS been two years since Alec Ryan last put up his Christmas lights display.
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Located at 65 Ellis Street in Flora Hill, Mr Ryan's display is one of the highlights for many families who seek out the bright Christmas lights during the holiday season.
The 84-year-old stopped his display because he felt the changes to Ellis Street's road infrastructure made it dangerous for pedestrians.
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"There's no where to stop (on my side) and I nearly saw two accidents (on Tuesday) night," he said. "People have got to cross two lanes traffic to come to look at lights.
"(The display will stay as long as the road doesn't cause any accidents, that's what I'm worried about."
But with the pandemic arriving he felt people needed a good dose of Christmas joy.
"I have been doing it for about seven years (but last year) I have had that many little kids come and say why aren't the lights up?" he said. "SO I'm doing it for them. I wasn't going to do it again because of my health isn't 100 per cent."
Setting up the display normally takes up to six weeks but the late decision to come out of retirement mean Mr Ryan - with the help of his three-year-old granddaughter Siobhan - did this year's display in two weeks.
"Other years I have had more than 80,000 lights up," he said. "But I reckon there is only about 70,000 at the moment but there are more to go up. I like the kangaroo and the emu and I've made a few more things that I haven't put up."
Mr Ryan has seen a lot of success in Hume & Iser's annual Christmas lights competition with hundreds of families voting for his display.
"I have got about three firsts and two seconds in the annual competition," he said. "The best night I had was 800 people visiting and getting out to look around.
"But there was also two bus loads of kids in one night."
Mr Ryan encouraged people to take care crossing Ellis Street to get a closer look at his display.
The Hume & Iser Mitre 10 Christmas Lights competition is on again this year gift cards for the best Christmas lights with vouchers worth $350, $150 and $50 on offer.
Households wishing to be included on the Christmas Lights Street Map, to be printed in the Bendigo Advertiser on Saturday, December 11, and again on Saturday, December 18, should email their address and details to addynews@austcommunitymedia.com.au