IT'S known as the Waterloo winter wonderland. And if you take a trip to Sue Severn's amazing Christmas house you'll know why!

Sue, 53, and her daughter Sharon, 34, have converted the fronts of their side-by-side houses on Waterloo Road into a Blackpool attraction offering plenty of light entertainment.

The gardens are filled with twinkling fairy lights, Christmas trees, make-believe snow, Santa and his sleigh, a six foot snowman, an igloo and even a life-sized nativity scene complete with a stable.

There is even a postbox for children's letters to Santa, which will be replied to where possible. "It is a personal touch rather than just putting lights up and that's it," Sue said.

The charity display got going properly two years ago. "We were decorating the front anyway and we said, 'Let's do it for a charity'. So we sent for a pack and raised £950 for Children in Need."

Much of the display is home-made by Sue, Sharon, Sue's husband Frank, 58, and Sharon's husband Bob, 44. "The response we have had is people saying, 'That's gorgeous'. When you have made it yourself more goes into it and people recognise that," Sue said.

So far the Christmas display, which began this year on November 16, has raised a whopping £2114 for Children in Need -- topping the family's original target of £2000 by January 5 when the display ends. "We are absolutely over the moon -- it's brilliant," Sue said. Everything is funded by the family with goodies donated by local companies, and money is raised through donations from visitors.

Lucky youngsters also receive rock, sweets and a Christmas card. "We have gone through 600 Christmas cards already," Sue said.

And it's all second nature for Sue, who is also one of Santa's little helpers at Wilkinson's Blackpool town centre superstore where she works.

THE Christmas extravaganza is an all-year-round task. The family begins building the figures and props in June and planning begins much earlier -- they are already planning next year's display now!

"It's a lot of hard work," Sue admitted, especially for Sharon who battles against mobility problems following an accident several years ago. But Sue said Sharon always pitches in as much as possible.

Not everybody is as keen as Sue and Sharon though. Grandchildren Matthew, 16, and Sarah, 14, find the attention a little too much. "They are embarrassed. They think we're mad!" laughed Sue.

Santa will be visiting the gardens tomorrow (Friday, December 21), Saturday and Sunday evenings. Sue is appealing for companies who can donate balloons and goodies for visiting children to contact her on 401130.