Life-sized Nativity tableau tells Christmas story in Lydiard Millicent

By Barrie Hudson - 18 December 2020

Community
  • The scene around the manger

    The scene around the manger

A Nativity tableau with a difference has been created in the grounds of Lydiard Millicent's All Saints Church.

  • The three kings

    The three kings

The shepherds are in the fields, the wise men are on their way, and a star is hanging over a stable in which shelter a baby and his happy parents - and all the figures are life-sized.

The tableau dramatising the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth will be open to visitors until Christmas Day.

All the figures, together with the stable and recorded voices of the characters, have been created over the last few weeks by members of the All Saints congregation. 

Rev Tricia Roberts, wife of parish vicar Revd Tudor Roberts, said: “When it was clear that the covid pandemic would prevent our normal packed Christmas carol service and family Nativity service, we knew we had to find an alternative.”

Tricia explained that although visitors won’t be able to join in the usual carol singing, they will be able to visit the stable alongside the shepherds and wise men. 

As they rub shoulders with them, they will be able to listen to carols recorded by local schools and by residents, and reflect on recorded Bible readings and monologues by the people involved in the Nativity events.

“The great thing is that the installation will be open to everyone for the full nine days so people can come at any time that suits them,” Tricia said. “It’s going to be a very special event.”

The church, which serves Peatmoor, Sparcells, Common Platt, Lydiard Millicent, Greenhill, Lydiard Green and Greatfield, also hopes to hold a Christmas Eve Holy Communion on 24 December at 11pm and a Christmas Day family service at 10am. 

These will take place in the church with numbers limited to 30 people.

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