Charlie's angel is a touching tribute

IT is already being called Charlie's Angel after the young lad who chose its design.

Golspie's newest Christmas light in the shape of an angel will soon be hanging close to seven-year-old Charlie Smith's home at Sutherland Road.

The light is a poignant tribute to Charlie's father, John Smith, who died from a heart attack aged just 41 in December 2013.

His loss left his family – mum Irene, wife Karen and his four children Nicolle, Liam, Codi and Charlie, bereft.

Every year since, his family have held a memorial darts competition and donated the funds raised to local groups.

Around £700 was split last year between Golspie in Bloom and Golspie Christmas Lights.

Christmas lights representative Iain Miller, who is also chairman of Golspie community council, said: "We decided that instead of our donation going into a central pot, we would spend it on a dedicated light so the Smith family would know exactly where the money had gone. We asked Charlie what kind of Christmas light design he would like and he said he wanted an angel for his father."

It is a particularly touching memorial as Mr Smith was attending the Christmas lights switch-on when he took ill and died. John Duncan, who runs fabricators and welders JD Welding, Brora, fashioned the metal angel and Mr Miller has spent the past few days in the Golspie YMCA building attaching a string of lights to it.

This week the Smith family including newest member – Nicolle's daughter, baby Penelope – were given a preview of the four-foot tall light with Charlie showing his delight by a wide grin.

Look out for the angel, which will be erected shortly, close to the A9 at the end of Alistair Road by the George V playing field.

The next Smith family fundraising darts competition is on Saturday, December 29, at the Stag's Head Hotel.