A SOUTHAMPTON great-grandfather who turned his street into a yearly winter wonderland has died.

Ivan Nicholls, began the colourful Christmas illuminations in Broadwater Road, Townhill Park in 1992 and over the years they became known throughout the region.

Ivan, born in 1925 in Shirley, was a carpenter at RH Hammond builders for 52 years, having started as a 15 year old apprentice.

Ivan was 19 when he married Patricia Hodder who was 22, at St James Church Shirley in 1945.

That year he went on to do his national service in the Royal Navy and guarded Japanese POW’s after World War Two.

The couple had one child, Clive who is now 67. Clive is also a carpenter at RH Hammond and has just completed his 52nd year with the firm.

By the time Ivan died just after New Year’s he had two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His wife Patricia passed away in 2002.

It was just after Ivan retired that the street lights all began.

Ivan went on holiday to America and toured the west coast, San Francisco and Las Vegas and bought Christmas lights to bring back home.

That year he decorated his house with colourful lights and persuaded his neighbours to do the same.

By 1996 a number of the homes in the road had joined in and by then they had arranged a grand switching two weeks before Christmas.

Every night Ivan would be dressed as Santa and would sit outside his house in a homemade grotto and he would hand out sweets and balloons that had been donated to him. Clive and his wife Josie would help Ivan by being his ‘elves’.

His daughter in law said: “He was a respected member of the community, an odd job man who could be called upon if things needed fixing. He was lovely at Christmas.

Everybody liked his Santa. From August onwards he planned for it, repairing his grotto or planning his lights.

“Every year when the lights were on it attracted a lot of people. People driving past would slow down and wave.

Families would come from all over to visit the street and regulars would come back year after year.”

Clive said: “I used to work with him and I did my apprenticeship with him.

"He was a hard worker and loved tending to his lawn. But he was well known as Santa, although the children didn’t know it was him.

"Even his grandchildren didn’t know it was him until they got older.”

The last time he dressed as Santa and sat outside his in his grotto was 2010 when he was 86.

Friend and neighbour Bob Foulkes said: “He was a much loved member of the community.

"Everybody knew him. He built a post box for children to post Santa letters and the grotto.

"Thousands turned up to see the lights. He was a marvellous bloke. I cried my eyes out when I heard.”

Ivan’s funeral takes place at 1pm on Wednesday January 25 and will held at Wessex Vale Crematorium. All are welcome to attend, donations to Naomi House instead of flowers.