Kennedy News and MediaDeck the halls with boughs of tacky, fa la la la la, la la la la. ‘Tis the season to be trashy, fa la la la la, la la la la.
Not the actual lyrics to the classic Christmas carol, of course, but ones that a dad in Somerset was most likely singing after his neighbour left him a note deeming his decorations to be too tacky for their liking.
Not letting the Scrooge ruin his festive cheer, Billy Morgan responded to his neighbour’s criticisms by putting up even more decorations – including an inflatable six-foot elf.
Kennedy News and MediaBilly, 38, had thrown himself into the decorating process this year, fully embracing the spirit of Christmas to transform his home into something straight from the set of Elf.
Spending £220, the father used three projectors to beam seasonal figures onto the side of his home in Bridgwater, Somerset, while placing an inflatable Santa and a large snowman in his front garden.
After putting up his decorations on Sunday, December 1, the 38-year-old was surprised to find a hand-written letter posted through his door two days later, claiming to be from a group of annoyed neighbours.
The letter read:
Myself & other neighbours I have spoken with feel as though your attention seeking ‘Christmas’ display is just far too much. It’s on the verge of tacky. All about the Christmas spirit but please tone it down. Thanks, neighbours.
Kennedy News and MediaRather than tone it down though, Billy did the complete opposite and instead blew the note up, printing it out on A3 paper. He then attached it to a large inflatable elf which he promptly placed front and centre in his garden.
He spent a further £53 on extra Christmas decorations, which he bought from B&M Bargains, and then put up outside his house to make a point. He even did some overtime in order to cover the cost of the additional items. Incredible.
The 38-year-old explained:
If you put a note like that through my door I’m going to go big or go home, so I decided to get more. Christmas is meant to be tacky; it’s meant to be bright and colourful and is for kids to have fun.
Kennedy News and MediaBilly said his children love seeing the decorations when they come home, stating: ‘Writing and posting a note through my door like that is a real Scrooge thing to do, it’s not in the spirit of Christmas at all.’
Agreed. And who has time to write the letter in the first place?! Don’t they have presents to buy?
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).