The light fantastic

A chance meeting with a sewage cart driver sparked a Christmas lights spectacular that has become an island institution. With just days to go before the Bachmann family's Winter Wonderland open evening, Zoe Ash discovered why, for them, Christmas begins in July IF YOU dread the annual struggle to untangle the Christmas lights for your tree, spare a thought for Peter and Frankie Bachmann's gardeners, Rex Allen, Paul Tostevin and Keith Batiste. They have to get into the festive spirit in July and test upwards of 56,000 bulbs.

Tuesday marks the ninth year that the Bachmann family has flung open the gates of its beautiful St Saviour's Winter Wonderland garden to the public in aid of Cancer Research UK. What started as a chance meeting with a sewage cart driver has, to date, raised nearly £30,000.

'I'm a Christmas nut,' confessed Frankie Bachmann. 'If it looks like Christmas, I'll buy it. I started buying from America in the early 1980s.'

Decorating her home and gardens has always been important to Frankie but it was an early morning chat with the cart driver that resulted in their garden becoming one of Guernsey's hardy Christmas annuals.

'He arrived at our house at seven o'clock one morning,' she explained. 'It was dark and all the lights were on in the house and the gardens.'

Impressed, the driver asked if he could bring his family along to have a look.

'Of course,' said Frankie.

The following evening, he did. In fact he brought the entire family, including aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters.

'I couldn't believe it,' laughed Frankie. 'It was hilarious. I looked out of the kitchen window and there were about 50 people wandering around the garden. And I just thought, 'Aha, this could be a great way to raise money for Cancer Research.'

Frankie's father had died of the disease and her friend Clare Cairns, chairperson of the Guernsey fund-raising committee of Cancer Research UK, realised that this could be a great opportunity to raise a lot of money for the charity. They've never looked back.

For a self-confessed Christmaholic, surely this provided the perfect excuse to go mad and buy yet more lights?

'I didn't need an excuse,' Frankie laughed. 'I have to say, though, that without the gardeners the open night wouldn't happen.'

Rex, the Bachmanns' gardener for more than 20 years, has seen the meteoric rise of the event from the start, although Paul has tended the gardens for 10 and knows the Christmas routine pretty well.

'We start in mid-November,' explained Paul. 'We need to give ourselves plenty of time.'

But there is no set plan for the lighting display: 'We just know where they all go in our head.'

Months before Christmas, Rex begins checking all the bulbs: there was an estimated 56,000 as far back as 1999.

'And you've got to untangle them,' added Clare.

This was the first job Keith was given when he joined the team last year. 'It was a wonder he ever stayed,' said Frankie.

So do the gardeners actually like Christmas?

'We've got to, really. We get into the spirit quite early - well, at the end of July,' Paul laughed.

This year Frankie has had to order extra bulbs from America, but they're not going to arrive in an envelope. There are 8,000 of them, plus a new addition for the garden, a grand 'Noel' sign.

As yet, she has no idea where it will go.

'Absolutely not. I just like the look of them and when they get here, we find a place.'

Storage is a major issue, some of the lights being stowed in boxes, others carefully folded up and many of the American ones remaining on frames.

And then there's the joining up and switching on. There are sockets in place all over the garden and the only thing they must be careful about is overloading.Like many successful things, it started very simply. But now the Winter Wonderland is well established and that is largely thanks to Clare Cairns and Bernadette Jenkinson, treasurer of the Guernsey fund-raising committee of Cancer Research UK. With more than 2,000 people visiting the garden last year alone, there is a lot of groundwork to be done.

But it's well worthwhile: last year's display alone raised a total of £7,000.

Although this is a team effort, with Frankie, Clare, Bernadette and the gardeners leading the charge, four years ago the Lions Club became involved - a move that turned out to be a lifesaver for one particular event. Now, said Bernadette, they couldn't do without them.

'Five years ago we got ourselves into a bit of a mess. The cars just couldn't get to us. It was total chaos.'

The club stepped in to help sort things out, with Specsavers allowing use of its nearby car park and supplying buses to ferry people to and from the garden. Previously, people had parked where they could: at Bruce Russell's St Saviour's complex or at the Strawberry Farm - even at friends' houses.

Now, said Frankie, they'd be in a real pickle without the buses. And without the people who flock to the gardens no matter what the weather.

'Do you know, one year it poured with rain from start to finish? And people still came. I was amazed. You know, what I like about it is that old people, invalids and young children can all come along and see this. Lots of people think that with these things, sometimes it's just the elite and the wealthy that can get in,' said Frankie. 'But it's really not, it's for everyone to enjoy.'

These days the Lions Club makes mulled wine and beanjar and there are teas, coffees and mince pies for sale.

When I spoke to Bernadette she was on the hunt for a young choir to sing by the Christmas tree. 'My Christmas CDs have had it now, a choir would be very festive,' she said.

'When it started, my children, Ashleigh and Charlotte, who were six and seven at the time, were elves. We never imagined it would ever be such a big thing.'

So why has it become such a success?

'I think it's because it's the first thing in the season. It gets everyone into the feeling of Christmas with the carols and bands and mulled wine,' said Frankie.

'We keep it at a good price, too,' said Bernadette, who lost her mum to cancer and has been actively involved in fund-raising ever since. Although all the money raised is pooled into Cancer Research UK funds it is kept in the south-west region and is potentially already benefiting local people.

Each of the organisers has a favourite area of the decked-out garden.

'I quite like going down to the gazebo, looking back at the house and seeing the Father Christmas on the roof,' said Frankie. For the gardeners it is the blue-lit tree at the front of the house.

It will be a case of all hands on deck on Tuesday night. Rex comes along and cooks chestnuts and Clare is in the kitchen sorting out a couple of thousand hot dogs.

And all will be keeping a watchful eye on their garden guests and hoping they enjoy the display.

'When people don't know you're involved, you hear lots of comments,' said Paul.

Frankie recalled an occasion when two elderly local women were discussing the display, oblivious to the identity of the woman behind them. 'It's so good of these people, letting us into their garden,' said one.

'And you know,' the other replied, 'they say they're quite nice folk.'

Last year she saw two little girls staring up at the house and heard them saying they'd just love to go inside and see the decorations. 'So I brought them in,' said Frankie.

This is a special time of year for her family. Her parents were great celebrators of Christmas and her own children love it. Even though all are now adults, she reins in her three daughters and son each year for traditional Christmas cake making.

Frankie Bachmann genuinely loves Christmas and what a perfect combination: being able to share a bit of festive cheer and make an awful lot of money for charity.

When I got back to my car - would you believe it? - there was a robin perched on the roof. Maybe a little bit of that Christmas spirit had followed me down the drive.

* The Bachmanns' Winter Wonderland garden is open on Tuesday 6 December between 6pm and 8.30pm. There is free parking at Specsavers with courtesy buses running to and from the house.

Tickets are £2 for adults and £1 for children and are available from Creasey's in the High Street, Shoestring on the Bridge and the Pollet and Amour in the Pollet.