co-sponsors Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited and BF&M Insurance Group.

The Festival of Lights provides the opportunity for those who decorate their houses and enter the contest a chance to win one of 12 cash prizes to be donated to the registered charities of their choice.

Entrants of the third annual contest were split into east, central and west and commercial and residential.

The prize for the eastern commercial group was split between The Corporation of St. George and Ronnie's Bar and Restaurant. First prize of the eastern residential section went to Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bardgett of 15 Kilderry Lane, Smith's.

The theme for their display is "Tranquil Christmas''.

Mr. Bardgett, who is a former winner of the contest, said that he used all of the colours of Christmas in the display and put Christmas music playing speakers into the rocks beside the house.

"We put some concrete reindeer up in the backyard,'' he explained. "Along with this, we put up a forest of old, artificial Christmas trees that we had found at the dump and decorated.'' The project took the Bardgett family two weekends to complete.

The second eastern residential prize was won by Richard Elsom and Tony Correia of 3 Knapton Close, Smith's Parish while third was claimed by Mr. and Mrs.

Christopher Bardgett of 6 Callen Glen Rise, Hamilton Parish.

In the central commercial group, the prize was won by Standard Hardware Company, Ltd.

First prize for the central residential category was claimed by Mr. and Mrs.

William Viera of 12 Ingham Drive, Pembroke.

None of these winners could be reached for comment.

Second prize went to Sheila Swan of 8 Ewing Street, Pembroke and third prize to Kim Arorash of 11 Underhill Crescent, Pembroke.

In the western commercial category, Baptiste Builders Supply Ltd. of Warwick scooped up the prize. A spokesperson explained that the title of their display is "Christmas Present.'' "Two of us did most of the work,'' she said. "At first we just thought it would be nice to have a sign saying `Merry Christmas', but it mushroomed into something a whole lot bigger.'' In keeping with the theme, the designers decided to put a "bow'' of lights right around the building.

The winners of first prize in the western residential division were contest veterans Dennis Sherlock and his wife, June.

Their house, on Ord Road in Warwick, was decorated with the theme of "Misty Nights with Bubbles and Lights'' in mind. This is expressed through the Sherlock's creation of a misty effect over their birdbath and pond and their use of a bubble machine.

According to Mrs. Sherlock, "the display took three weeks to complete including many late nights and early mornings''.

She explained that they considered this to be their "gift to the people of Bermuda''.

Second prize for the category was won by Royal Kemp of 4 Seymour Farm Road, Southampton while third prize went to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Marsh of 27 Tamarind Vale, Warwick.