Business lights up village with 20 tonne combine harvester and Santa’s reindeers

A combine harvester weighing more than 20 tonnes has proved to be both a canny advertising move and a fun way to cheer up motorists heading through the village, with the huge machine proving a base for some of Santa’s reindeers.

The company sells and repairs John Deere agriculture and horticulture equipment from its depot in Eldernell Lane, and after making an effort last year with a forage harvester this time they have gone even further with the huge display featuring 1.1km of lights.

Mechanic Hugh Gilligan (28) from Newborough, who put the superb display together alongside Liam Kirton, said: “We spent about £200 on the lights and got some steel from a manufacturer in Peterborough to build the reindeers.

“We took them to Whittlesey and got them powder coated at KDS.

“We drove the combine harvester up on Friday morning with all the lights on it and parked it on a bank at the depot.

“It’s there to get more customers coming in and for people to see it. It’s in the view of the road which is well used.

“People phoned in from March last year to see when they could come and see the lights. This year we wanted to do something bigger, and you can’t do bigger than a combine!

“I think it’s got a lot of people talking.”