There's little evidence of the credit crunch at Julie Fielding's three-bedroom terraced home in Whitton Dene as she unveils her magnificent festive decorations.

She doesn't know what her next electricity bill is going to be as hubbie Dave, who works for RS Components electronics firm in Green Lane, Hounslow, normally deals with that side of things.

But she does get through at least 250 batteries during the Christmas period in order to power the hundreds of decorations and ornaments, including dancing snowmen and Santas, which line every inch of available surface space in her Isleworth home.

Even her kitchen chairs sport large Santa hats, while there is a small Christmas tree at the top of her stairs.

"My friends think I'm nuts, while my husband hates all the decorations," said the Hallmark Cards merchandiser, whose display has raised hundreds of pounds for autism charities.

"He really has a 'bah humbug' attitude towards them. I think it's because he has to drag them all out of the loft, but he does admire my efforts."

Every penny raised goes to Springhallow School in Ealing, where her 13-year-old autistic son, Sam, is a pupil.

Each year she holds a charity night with raffle prizes for friends and family.

Last year the event, which is the culmination of weeks of hard work and painstaking attention to detail, netted £200.

She starts getting out the 300 or so decorations - stored in 50 giant bin bags in her attic - around Halloween. Then it's a question of sorting, planning and unpacking.

"It takes me about three and half to four weeks to assemble it all," said the 50-year-old, who also appears as a pixie in Whitton Business Association's annual Christmas celebrations. "I used to do the bathroom too, but no one really saw it."

She started going overboard with her decorations a few years ago and her display has been steadilygrowing ever since.

Aside from a massive eight-foot tree, which groans with glitter and more than 300 baubles, there is a Victorian village, with miniature street lamps, a little valley village, snowmen in the corner of her kitchen and living room and motion-sensitive figures that dance and sing beaming down from kitchen cupboards.

The overall result is like being in the Christmas section of a department store.

She has lost count of the exact number of trinkets amassed in the last 12 years.

Some have been rescued from charity shops and her favourite is one which she accidentally kicked across the floor of Woolworths one year.

I ask if the noise of twinkly versions of Frosty the Snowman drive her mad, or if her other son, Stephen, 15, objects.

"Some of the batteries have been removed and most have the sound turned off," she said. "I also try to use LED lights where possible. As for Stephen, he tolerates them."

It takes Julie a week and half to remove the decorations the day after Boxing Day, after which she says the house feels unusually empty.

But there's little chance of any additions to her collection as she has vowed to keep her hands in her pockets and hold back... for the time being anyway.

Do you have a Christmas display which can compete with Julie's? Call us on 020 8538 2208, or email your pictures to newshounslow@trinitysouth.co.uk