Competition: Send us photos of your Christmas lights around Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth - and be in with a chance of winning £200

With yuletide upon us, now’s the season to be jolly so let’s shrug off the misery of recent months and set about cheering up ourselves and our neighbours with some creative outdoor Christmas decorations!

From now until the New Year we are asking readers to do their bit and brighten up their home exteriors with the festive spirit – and then pick up their cameras or smart phones and get outdoors to capture the magic of the season.

And just to add a festive touch, the Courier and Weekly News has teamed up with Blythe Liggins Solicitors in Leamington to launch a ‘Deck the halls’ photo competition with the opportunity of winning £200 worth of shopping vouchers.

All you need do to be in with a chance of winning is to take a photo of your outdoor decorations and email it to us with the title ‘Blythe Liggins Deck the halls competition’.

The winner will get £100 worth of vouchers and two runners-up will each receive a £50 voucher.

Richard Thornton, joint senior partner at Blythe Liggins, said the competition was just as much about artistic quality as it was about quantity. “So, whether your lawn is awash with elves and reindeer, or you have a single candle in a homemade wreath on the doorstep, we’d like to see it.

“We’ve all been through a lot this year so let’s take this opportunity if we can of brightening up our lives for the next few weeks.

"There have been some magnificent local examples of community spirit over recent months and we would like to thank those who have been helping others. So, let’s all pull together once more and put some joy back into our towns and villages,” said Mr Thornton, whose firm has Myton Hospice as its main charity and whose staff give their time fund-raising and providing their specialist advice to charities.

The judging will take place after the Twelfth Day of Christmas, so there’s plenty of time to get out there and capture some truly wonderful sights.

Head of news Phil Hibble said entries would appear in the Courier and Weekly News most weeks between now and the judging.

The photograph must be of your home’s decorations and submitted by you or someone with your permission. You can email your entries to [email protected]