The snow must go on in Ian’s extravaganza

Snow is set to fall in Belmont tonight when Santa Claus appears at a pensioner’s Christmas lights display.
Sixty-eight-year-old Ian Feetham has ordered a snow-maker from America, with fingers firmly crossed the machine turns up today to welcome Santa about 9pm.
Mr Feetham said the machine produced a soaring jet of snow that fell to the ground like the real thing.
“Santa and his sleigh will be in a snowstorm,” the single grandfather said.
Mr Feetham described the machine as looking like a metre-high snowman that ran on a bottle of snow-making liquid lasting up to five hours.
But Mr Feetham promised spectators could look forward to more than just a one-night flurry.
“I’ve bought a whole box full of bottles,” he said.
Late delivery of the machine would not prevent Santa’s appearance tonight, Mr Feetham said, although spectators keen on seeing snow in Belmont might have to keep returning until the equipment had arrived.
Mr Feetham arranges for his lights display to include visits from Santa each year.
Tonight would be Santa’s 2007 debut appearance at 18 Hereford Drive, Mr Feetham said, with the jolly chap set to tote about $500 worth of lollies for little onlookers this year.
Along with Santa’s stock and the snow-maker, Mr Feetham estimated he had spent “thousands upon thousands” of dollars on his extravagant display.
“I’m using up all my superannuation on it,” he chuckled.
Thousands of spectators including many children turned out for the display each year, Mr Feetham said.
“It’s becoming quite an event around here.”
As well as enchanting spectators over the past eight years, Mr Feetham’s lights raise money for Geelong Hospital.
He puts out collection tins each year to fundraise for particular departments at the hospital.
Last year dialysis patients were the beneficiaries, Mr Feetham said.
“The lady next door is on a dialysis machine and she allows me to put lights on her side of the fence for a bigger display. Last year she asked whether I would mind raising money for dialysis at the hospital and I said ‘Not at all’.
“This year the money is for the emergency department, so everyone will benefit.”
Mr Feetham estimated his display had raised up to $12,000 for the hospital.
He also believed the display played a small but important social role.
“I’m a bit old-fashioned,” he said.
“I believe that if you make a child happy when they’re very little they take it into their later life and become a better person.”
However, Mr Feetham, who arrived in Australia from England in 1959 as a self-described “10-pound Pom”, thought the glow of goodwill from his lights display reached further than just the spectators and the hospital.
“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it,” he admitted.
“In northern England Christmas was very special when I was young.
“And I’ve appreciated living in Australia, so I’m just trying to give back a little of what has been given to me.”