A pensioner who brings cheer to children every Christmas has put up his final festive garden display this year.
Eddie Stevenson, 74, has been decorating his front lawn with life-size cartoon characters to raise money for charity for the past 36 years.
Every December families travel to his home on Ashgrove Road West to see his fantastic exhibits helping him raise more than £250,000 for local charities.
And Mr Stevenson said he had enjoyed entertaining all the young children over the years.
He said: “It’s been great. I really enjoy it, and I love speaking to folk. A lot of people come round with their kids and they’ll stand and speak to me or want pictures taken next to the display.
“But I can’t go on forever.
“It’s not that I mind doing it, but you’re out there with a thermal boiler suit on and your fingers are cold. That said, it’s seeing the kids’ faces that makes it all worthwhile.”
All the money raised over the years has been donated to local charities with pupils with special needs from Carronhill School in Stonehaven and St Andrew’s School in Inverurie also benefitting from the donations.
Mr Stevenson has written a letter to all the organisations requesting that the funds are used for educational purposes.
He said: “Every penny is a bonus for the charities. I have the charity tin, but I also get donations sent to me as well. It’s hard to believe how many folk from miles away are thinking about you.”
The retired university technician, who received an MBE in 2010 for his charity and healthcare work, which included being part of the team who created the world’s first MRI scanner, builds all the sculptures himself. The final display needed five people and a pallet truck to manoeuvre all the characters into position.
Mr Stevenson said he would be sad to say goodbye to the displays but added that it was now time for him to stop. He added: “I love doing things for folk and I’ve enjoyed doing the displays every year, so I will really miss it.”
