A Watsonia man has broken with convention and erected his Christmas lights during the week before the 1st of December. While the breach seems reasonably harmless, the man’s actions have provoked an angry response from his neighbours who claim he’s just trying to “get one up on everyone”.

A gentlemen’s agreement in Graeme Hickling’s street dictates that outdoor Christmas decorations cannot be put on display until the 1st of December. While the day of the week that the 1st falls on can often cause some logistical issues for residents, considering that this year it’s a Sunday the neighbours had all agreed to wait until this weekend to put up their lights and inflatables.

However, Hickling broke that agreement by spending all of yesterday afternoon decorating his front lawn and then debuting his lights last night. Known for always trying to go one better than his neighbours each year, Hickling is being accused of trying to become the best decorated house via nefarious means.

One neighbour, Kevin Yeomans, told The Watsonia Bugle, “It’s so bloody typical of Graeme that I shouldn’t be surprised. Every year, a few days after everyone puts their lights up, he ducks down to the shops to buy a few extra decos to outdo the rest of us. And he’s a real jerk about it too. All false modesty and that. But this time he’s taken it too far. This is an unfair advantage.”

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