Strolling through Bible story of Jesus' birth

The Walking Nativity, on the night of December 20, was led by the Freedom Church, which operates from the Tarside Community Centre on Borrowdale Road.

Children dressed as angels, shepherds, wise men and Mary and Joseph to take part in the story, which travelled from Little Marton Mill to Mereside Primary School.

Reverend Linda Tomkinson said: “We invited people to come along dressed as characters from the Nativity, so we had angels and shepherds and a couple of wise men. It was like a play with no rehearsal.

“At the windmill the angels told Mary she was pregnant, and then a Roman soldier told people they had to go and get counted.

“We went to the Toby Carvery where we got a staff member to tell us there was no room at the inn and we sang some carols.

“A live donkey joined us.”

“We went down to the Langdale Green where we found the shepherds, and onto the three wise men.

“We ended up at the school, where we had a crib which had been made by our men’s group.

“We were very well supported by the primary school and the headteacher was actually one of our angels.

“The weather miraculously stayed dry.

“It was the first time we have ever done a walking Nativity. We don’t have our own building so we don’t have a place to do our own Nativity. We have to do it in the community. It was lovely to see people opening their doors as we went past.”