Mark Smith likes nothing more than bringing a smile to people's faces -- and his Reindeers help to do just that.

Fifty-four-year-old Mr. Smith is suffering from a brain tumour and has retired from his job.

Now he devotes much of his time to his hobby -- making Reindeers from Mexican Pepper plants and Japanese Holly.

He has also decorated rocks on his front lawn to look like a Reindeer -- complete with antlers and red nose.

"A man on a motorcycle went past and I heard him shout `hello Rudolph', said Mr. Smith, who lives near Frank's Bay, on Middle Road.

He added: "I've been doing this for a while and it's fun. I sold them at the side of the road and I watched people smile as they drove past.

As well as the Reindeers, Mr. Smith is also making small wooden toys for children at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and he will be concentrating his efforts on the toys once Christmas is over.

Mr. Smith, who part-owned Island Tools, is also doing his bit for Bermuda by replacing the pepper and holly trees as he chops them down with endemic species, such as Cedars.

"This time last year I was diagnosed as having a brain tumour and had an operation in Halifax. I am now having chemotherapy.

"I shed a lot of tears in Halifax, but I was not feeling sorry for myself, they were comforting tears, so many people were praying for me,'' added Mr.

Smith.

"When they told me about my problem I was 53-years-old. I told my doctor that I had the mind of a 23-year-old and that I still had a lot of things that I wanted to do and see.''