and brighter each year. The 25-year veteran of the Bermuda Electric Light Company gets his charge each Christmas by dressing the outside of his home with about 10,000 lights. The colourful bulbs shine on handmade figures including candy canes, bells, angels, a snowman, and a Santa Claus and reindeer that appear to fly through the air above his roof. "Each year I add something to it,'' said 40-year-old Mr. Simons. The display has slowed traffic near Port Royal Golf Course on Middle Road in Southampton for seven years. But Mr. Simons recommends that passersbys pull into his driveway to get a better look. "Anyone can come in and browse around,'' he said. "You have to come into the yard to get the full effect.'' While Mr. Simons' Christmas display is exceptional, he said it is easy and enjoyable for anyone to follow his lead.

"There's nothing hard about it,'' he said. "Just start with a couple of strands of lights and plug them in.'' He warned beginners to make sure they use outdoor lights, and said he likes indoor/outdoor lights the best. Lt. Jon Thompson of Bermuda Fire Service added that homeowners should use lights that are Underwriters Laboratory or Canadian Safety Association approved. And they should carefully check insulation for cracking, while making sure they do not overload circuits, he said. Belco added a few more tips for homeowners decorating with exterior lights. Never leave a socket without a bulb in it.

Make sure light strands are fastened securely to trees, house walls, or other firm supports. And make sure the bulbs will not bang against the supports in windy weather. It started small, but Mr. Simons' display has grown so big that he pulls out his lights and displays in October and begins a month of checking Exterior decorating stops traffic! stay on the house year-round. As the display grew, Mr. Simons gradually put the lights on four different circuits and installed timers which automatically shut them on and off. The lights go on two weeks before Christmas and remain lit until after New Year's, shining from 6 p.m. until 1 a.m. each night. "I like to see the kids, and what they get out of it,'' Mr. Simons said.

"They're just amazed.'' And while many in Bermuda noticed a drop-off in exterior Christmas decorating during the recession, he believes it is now on the rise. "Last year I noticed a lot more people had done it,'' he said. "I would like to see still more people do it. "When I was little, that was the thing at Christmas. My parents used to take me around to show me how everybody's houses were decorated. "Now it's my turn to give a little bit of it back.'' PHOTO DAZZLING DISPLAY -- This display by Frank and Dorothy Blaylock dazzled passersbys on Sandy Lane in Hamilton Parish last Christmas.

It included thousands of lights and a manger scene on the porch. TRAFFIC STOPPER -- The home of Mr. Allen Simons on Middle Road, Southampton has become a well-known Christmas attraction in the last seven years. In this photograph, special effects were used to enhance the brilliance.