Gillian and Duke Deliman. PHOTO/PAM GRAHAM
PAM GRAHAM
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Gillian and Duke Deliman have been blown away by the community support they’ve received since their Christmas light display was vandalised and are promising the display will be bigger and brighter next year.
The couple were reeling after two attacks in two nights on the festive display in their front yard.
Gillian said they had only been in Masterton for a year and it affected her because she was still missing her church and friends from Upper Hutt where the couple had lived and for 17 years put up Christmas lights without incident.
She said after the attacks were reported in the Times-Age on Monday several people called in with small gifts and one lady wanted to give them a donation of $20. They said they didn’t need the money but appreciated the support and she left the $20 in the mail box.
When they were in town, on the spur of the moment they decided to give $20 to a busker in their own act of kindness.
Gillian said she was shopping in Ornate and the person in the gift store serving her recognised her as the lady with the Christmas lights and insisted on giving her a small gift of soaps.
There had also been great support shown for them on social media sites, including on Neighbourly, she said.
Gillian said the couple had a lovely Christmas Day with her daughter who lives nearby in Masterton.
There have been no more incidents of vandalism to the lights, and the couple purchased two new reindeer to replace the one that was ruined.
People had come around in the evening to say how beautiful the lights were and how much they enjoyed them, she said.
The lights will come down on January 2.
“They’ll be bigger and brighter next year,” Gillian said.
