Christmas Plays!

(Images courtesy of google search engine)


I am feeling quite teary and emotional thinking about my chosen topic today.

When I was a child, they did have nativity plays but I was never chosen to be in them and I was glad because I was too shy to perform on stage. I remember once when I was about 4 years old, sitting cross legged in assembly. Our headmistress "Mrs Henderson" said that we were to perform the "Three Billy Goats Gruff" and whoever was sitting up the straightest would be a billy goat. I instantly sat up straight but almost simultaneously realised what this would entail and slouched my biggest slouch...... Too late! Mrs Henderson had seen me and I became the littlest Billy Goat Gruff much to my horror.


While helping out at Sunday school when the boys were young, the best time of year was Christmas..... The lighting of the advent candles and rehearsals for plays. My oldest son Joe was always a Shepherd and costumes were duly made for the role. The first nativity Harry appeared in was at the age of 18 months and he was a sheep. Now..... I am not a seamstress by any far reach of the imagination but I was determined to make Harry a sheeps costume. My Auntie Heather gave me some immitation sheep material and I set about my task. The end result was a balaclava style head with ears attached, propped at a very "cheeky" angle. The top was a big and just for fun I "branded" Harry's bottom using red paint with the letter "H", he had a little sheeps tail and the trousers to match. I painted his little nose black with a bit of my eye liner. Oh what fun we had that year! My little sheep would not sit with the others, in fact he would not sit still. My little sheep was chased up and down the aisles, eventually lieing on his back, kicking his legs in the air. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the audience.......


My number one son has been at St Peters School in Rossett since the age of 3 1/2. He started off at nursery, then worked his way through reception and he is now in his final year before high school. What memories I have to treasure. All of the nativity plays he has been part of over the years and the costumes I have had to put together. This year, the school is putting on their adaptation of "Scrooge" and my Joe is Tiny Tim. Quite appropriate for him really as despite being one of the oldest in the class, he is the smallest!

Tonight I have been sewing patches on old school trousers, cutting fingers off old gloves and putting together a costume for him to wear for his dress rehearsal tomorrow. Jason has made him a crutch out of an old wooden broom.

I feel so sad.


This is the last nativity play he will ever do at primary school. St Peters has been such a huge part of Joe's life and always will be. He is surrounded by friends who he has known since the days of mother and toddler groups. Happy memories and treasured ones for me.

I am in awe of children today. Sure, we get the odd child bursting into tears or being overwhelmed by the sea of adult faces focusing on them. Harry tends to take part until he sees me then spends the entire time trying to hide from me or annoying the person in front of him.

These children pull off the most amazing plays, they learn their lines, sing their songs and all with such confidence and enjoyment. I could never have done what these children do today.