The craze of lighting up the outside of houses has snowballed in recent years. Gloucestershire families galore deck their halls - and windows, doors, garages, gardens and rooftops - with a dazzling display of festive illuminations.  | | Two little Christmas elves greet visitors to the Woodward's home in Paganhill |
And the hunt was on again this year to find the most eye-catching festive houses in the county. BBC Radio Gloucestershire breakfast show presenter Vernon Harwood again joined forces with Ian mean, editor of The Citizen newspaper, to find the county's most decorative domestic Christmas light show. Click on the link below for to see our
pick of the county's light shows And as you can see from our gallery, choosing the winners from such a spectacular selection was a very difficult task. Eventually the judges settled on TWO especially sparkling homes.  | Ray and Ann of Forest Green were one of two winners this year |
Electrician Ray Jones and his partner Ann Lawrence import lights from the States to put on a dazzling display that attracts sightseers to their home in Collier Wood, Forest Green. Yvonne and Andy Reeley of Pegasus Gardens in Quedgeley, deck their home out in hundreds of lights to raise money for the James Hopkins Trust and the special care baby unit at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Many of the county's 'ho-ho-homes' collect money for local charities.  | Amid all the sparkle - a reminder of
what Christmas is really all about |
A third prize will be awarded for the house that has collected most cash for a good cause once the festive season is over. Click on the link below for to see our
pick of the county's light shows 
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BBC Gloucestershire and The Citizen newspaper got together to find the county's most festively decorated home. 
The world's first practical light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison in 1879.
