Family claim Guinness World Record for Christmas light display with 502,165 flickering bulbs (but some of the neighbours have stopped speaking to them) David Richards, from Canberra, first won the title in 2011 with 331,038 lights But he was beaten by a family from New York who installed 15,000 more His family have officially regained the record - and neighbours are not happy Lights will raise money for charity and cost £1,400 to run for a month By DAN BLOOM PUBLISHED: 12:09, 25 November 2013 | UPDATED: 12:51, 25 November 2013 2 View comments An Australian family who put more than half a million Christmas lights on their house have claimed a world record - for the second time. Father-of-three David Richards from Canberra first won the title in 2011 with 331,038 lights, but was beaten by a family in New York who put up 346,283. His family vowed to take regain the title this Christmas - so installed more than 31 miles of wire with 502,165 lights, glowing reindeer and loud music around their suburban home, to the irritation of some neighbours. Scroll down for video Blinding: Half a million Christmas lights have wowed and annoyed neighbours in equal measure in Canberra. Father-of-three David Richards, who claimed a world record for the second time, said: I just love Christmas Glittering: The display at the familys home took more than a month to construct and will cost £1,400 to run Record: The lights are attached to every possible surface - including trees, hedges, walls and the roof Watch Aussie familys record half-million Christmas lights show The sight has attracted neighbours from miles around - although not all of them are impressed. Some have not spoken to the family since 2011. Mr Richards, who lives in the suburb of Forrest with his wife Janean, son Aidan, 13, and daughters Caitlin, ten, and Madelyn, six, insisted most neighbors supported the display. More... The Enchanted Woodland...on the outskirts of London: Gardens around Duke of Northumberlands second home are lit up to create a magical winter trail for walkers Xbox One smashes console sales record: One million sold globally in first 24 hours since launch He added: I have always loved Christmas. Having the Christmas lights with the community coming in and sharing it is a time when you get to know people you probably should know better, I guess. Guinness World Records today confirmed the familys charity feat has officially the most Christmas lights on a residential property. The twinkling bulbs will cost about £1,400 to run for a month - but the sum has been donated by a local power company. Everybody needs good neighbours: The 500,000 multi-coloured lights were not universally adored. Some neighbours have not been on speaking terms with the Richards family since their previous record in 2011 Twinkling: Mr Richards was relieved to hear he would not have to count the 502,165 lights individually himself Glittering: An estimated 70,000 people visited the familys previous display in Forrest, Canberra, in 2011 The stunt is open to the public, and hundreds of people have already visited and posted videos on Youtube. It will raise funds for childrens charities including to fight Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Up to 70,000 people visited the light show when he last put it on in 2011 and it raised £44,000 for charity. This year Mr Richards wants to raise £56,000. He told the Canberra Times: It actually helps a lot of families who have put up with an amazing amount of grief. That makes it all worthwhile to me. Its like a party in your driveway every night. The lights took a month to put up but Mr Richards did not have to count them all himself - instead delivery records and invoices were used to certify the total. And they have had an extra use, illuminating the wedding of his wifes cousin on Saturday. Mr Richards vowed he had retired after setting his 2011 record, but regained the taste for Christmas lights. Now he will not rule out defending himself against further challenges. However, he said he will need a generator if he puts up any more lights. Dazzling: The wiring for the display is 31 miles long. If there were any more they would need a generator Read more: dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2513160/Family-claim-Guinness-World-Record-Christmas-light-display-502-165-flickering-bulbs-neighbours-stopped-speaking-them.html#ixzz2lfBwY5hl Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:23:20 +0000
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