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It takes a week to put up my Christmas trimmings

George Carden/BBC Geoff Stonebanks wearing a red christmas themed shirt with a christmas tree behind himGeorge Carden/BBC
Geoff Stonebanks, from Seaford, East Sussex, has been collecting Christmas decorations for 60 years

While we all love Christmas, most of us normally get out the old box of tinsel and baubles that we've used for years when festive season comes around.

The idea of buying more decorations can feel like a bit of a chore - but for one man, from Seaford, East Sussex, hunting for new festive items to adorn the inside his house is the highlight of the year.

Geoff Stonebanks - who has previously been called "Britain's most festive man" - has spent his lifetime collecting decorations from across the world which he uses to transform his modest seafront bungalow into a winter wonderland every December.

The entire process of decorating his house normally takes Geoff, 71, an entire week.

Some of the decorations were handed down from his family, such as a tree from Woolworths which was bought in the 1960s and stood in his parent's pub for decades, while others include 90-year-old decorations from Prague.

"My parents opened on Christmas and our lives were dominated by that," he said.

"As a child I probably didn't get as much benefit from Christmas as other children.

"On Christmas morning we weren't allowed to open our presents until my father had got the bar ready and my brother and I had filled the shelves up with bottles."

George Carden/BBC Geoff's dining room which is filled with a big christmas tree, fully laid up table with christmas crackersGeorge Carden/BBC
Geoff's dining room is made ready for Christmas at the beginning of the month

Asked about his reputation as one of the most festive people in the country, Geoff told BBC Radio Sussex: "It's been said on TV programmes in the past [being called Britain's most festive man].

"I'm sure there must be hundreds of people that are equally as interested in Christmas but aren't as blasé about putting it online."

In previous years, Geoff has decorated 40 trees inside his home with his vast array of tinsel and baubles.

George Carden/BBC Living room looking out the front of the house with a fully decorated silver tree in the middleGeorge Carden/BBC
Geoff's front room with another one of his Christmas trees fully decorated

He has scaled back to seven trees of varying sizes this year due to needing a knee replacement.

"It's caused me trouble over the last five years and I need a new knee replacement," he said.

"All my decorations are in a purpose-built loft above the garage that require getting on your knees to get out.

"We've been more conservative with the number of trees but it still looks fabulous."

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