Braintree’s Nayling Road: A Festive Transformation

For 11 months of the year, Nayling Road in Braintree, Essex, functions like many other suburban streets. It is typically unassuming, quiet, and lined with a variety of cladding-fronted houses built in the 1970s. However, starting on 1 December, this cul-de-sac undergoes a remarkable transformation. Thousands of lights adorn the approximately 40 houses that participate. One front garden features a complete model railway, with trains navigating through a miniature village. A massive, inflatable green Grinch, standing two storeys tall, is positioned amidst green fairy lights and candy canes. Known on social media as The Famous Nayling Road Christmas Lights, the display has become a significant local phenomenon. The street’s newest resident is embracing the situation, though he admits friends “took the mick” when they discovered the location of his new home. Sam Aylward, 37, moved to Nayling Road in early November. He recounted, “Some people said to me, ‘You do know you’re moving to Christmas Street? Are you prepared for December?'” He further stated, “I only had one Christmas tree before I moved in,” adding, “I’ve now got three.” Mr Aylward mentioned that while he had not visited the lights prior to his move, his partner had, and she has ensured his house is suitably festive. “Some of my lights on the front are from next door,” he explained. “I did buy some extra ones to sort of light the place up a little bit.” The property belonging to his immediate neighbour is considered one of the highlights of the entire road. Frank Petchey, 72, settled into his home in May 1988. As some other residents on the street used to put up lights, he and his wife Patricia committed to creating a substantial display from their initial Christmas there. He recounted, “She was always into Christmas. She got it going and ever since then it’s got bigger and bigger, and more and more.” Mr Petchey now constructs his intricate displays—comprising approximately 500m (1,640ft) of lights, a snowy village scene featuring a toy train, a window display, and a full-size Father Christmas model—as a tribute to his wife, who passed away eight years ago. He is currently gathering donations for Helen Rollason, a cancer charity that provided care for Patricia during her illness. In the previous year, £1,755 was collected, and visitors contributed over £10,000 to 12 additional charitable causes. Every household independently selects a cause meaningful to them for which to gather donations. Mr Petchey stated his intention to continue setting up his display in future years. He affirmed, “Even if I can’t get up on the roof, I’ll just do the bits down here in the garden.” He added, “I’ll always fulfil my wife’s dream – she always knew the best time of year was Christmas.” Concurrently with the expansion of the decorations and displays, the number of visitors has also increased. Residents report that weekends and Friday evenings experience the highest visitor traffic, with hundreds of individuals anticipated to visit during the period leading up to Christmas. On social media, visitors are asked to park thoughtfully, with a recommendation for drivers to utilize a nearby industrial estate and then walk for 10 minutes to Nayling Road. “It gets manic,” laughed Dawn Isaac, whose festive arrangement features an illuminated archway, icicles suspended from the roof, and a multicoloured front fence. She elaborated, “It’s lovely to see, but it’s better if people walk down because, obviously, being a cul-de-sac means there’s one way in and one way out, and it gets rammed.” Mrs. Isaac emphasized that safety is also crucial. “We ask people to try and keep off the displays and our driveways, and be mindful of us pulling on to the driveway – because it is just a residential street and not a public display,” she stated. She concluded, “We don’t want to put a downer on it, but we’ve just got to make sure we’re safe and secure with it all.” For numerous visitors, the Nayling Road Christmas lights constitute an element of their yearly traditions. Stacey Newcombe recalls visiting the lights with her family during her childhood in the 1990s. “There weren’t as many houses that did it back then, but it was still worth going,” she remembered. “My dad would drive us round in the car and it was magical.” The 31-year-old now resides in Kelvedon with her two children, aged three and 10 months, and has enjoyed bringing them to experience the lights. “My little boy absolutely loves it. Whenever we go out, he asks if we’re going to the ‘Christmas lights street’,” she stated. She added, “Even the first time he went, when he was six months old, it was such a sensory experience.” “The people who live there go to a lot of effort, and I love being able to donate to the local charities they collect for,” she concluded. Debbie Saunders, 58, a resident of Braintree, has been visiting the lights for approximately six years. On this occasion, she was accompanied by her teenage granddaughter, who particularly admires the giant Grinch displayed on the street. “The lights are just amazing – we love coming down. They go to so much effort. You feel you should come and have a look,” she commented. Returning to Sam Aylward’s front room, the twinkling lights visible through the front window cast illumination upon several moving boxes he has not yet unpacked. “I wouldn’t say it’s competitive with the lights, but everyone’s quite encouraging for people to join in,” he remarked. He recalled, “I remember one of the guys up the road said, ‘We can’t have a dark house in between all of our lights,’ and I was like ‘Oh, OK, well I’m joining in then!'” “It’s definitely made me feel a bit more Christmassy,” he added. A significant question remains: will he attempt to have a Saturday night takeaway delivered closer to Christmas? “I might end up collecting it,” he commented wryly. “Though I do need to save money, so I’ll stick to cooking something I think.”