Brackenfell couple bring Christmas cheer

Brackenfell couple Rick van der Galien and Paulo Rodrigues are not letting Covid-19 play the Grinch in their neighbourhood this Christmas.

They have festooned their Dennegeur Street home in Protea Heights in 3.2km of Christmas lights. There’ a big present-like box on the driveway decorated in more lights, a life-size Nativity scene on the porch, a tunnel made from multi-coloured lights for a photo booth, Christmas trees, candy canes and many more decorations to help mark the holiday season.

Last year, the couple appeared in Northern News when hundreds of families flocked to their home during the festive season (“Brackenfell Christmas wonderland,” Northern News, December 11, 2019).

People who visited last year filled a collection box with nearly R15 000 for animal shelters in Brackenfell and surrounding areas. The collection box is out again this year, and the couple hope to help more animal shelters.

However this year because of the pandemic only a few people are allowed onto the premises at a time and they have to follow all the Covid-19 safety precautions, including wearing masks, sanitising hands and practising physical distancing.

The lights worth more than R10 000 took two weeks to install, the couple say.

The public can view the home from 8pm until 11pm every night.