David Hampson on tragic story behind Christmas decorations
A dad is ensuring the memory of his late wife lives on by decorating his conifer trees every year for Christmas and making people smile.
David Hampson lives in St Lawrence Forstal, Canterbury - a route often used by patients travelling from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital who may have received bad news from doctors.
David Hampson lives in St Lawrence Forstal, Canterbury - a route often used by patients travelling from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital who may have received bad news from doctors.
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00:00 Really they're just to make people smile.
00:02 So my wife was diagnosed with paranasal melanoma in August 2020
00:10 and unfortunately passed away in June 2021.
00:15 And at that point we realised when she was initially diagnosed
00:19 on our trips to the hospital and back
00:22 that people walked down our road often with bad news and sad news.
00:27 And our trees are quite significant.
00:30 So Sarah saw something on the internet
00:32 where someone decorated their conifer trees
00:35 and said look can we do something similar with ours just to make people smile.
00:40 So I took a picture off the internet and just developed that idea
00:45 and it's turned into this now.
00:47 So this is the fourth year that we've done it
00:50 and it's developed a little bit more every year.
00:52 This year we've got eyes on them.
00:55 Converted space hoppers and acrylic paints pretty much.
00:59 And the small one at the front has got little beach balls on it.
01:03 But yeah it's just to make people smile on the way back from the hospital
01:07 where people can have just bad news.
01:10 And it seems to work. People are smiling.
01:12 So yeah that's what it's there for.
01:14 Certainly my friends and neighbours they all look forward to it being there.
01:19 I think people talk to me in the summer
01:21 so I'm the chap that decorates his trees.
01:23 So yeah it's positive.
01:26 It does make people smile.
01:28 People have been up and down the road having a look
01:30 and it's been on social media.
01:32 So yeah it all helps remember Sarah
01:34 and also help people's mood walking down the street.
01:38 It's been great for us.