Record Breaking Nativity Play

A record-breaking nativity play was organised in Midsomer Norton on Friday to coincide with the switching-on of the Christmas lights.  Although the numbers are still subject to verification it looks as if the previous record has been smashed with 743 people involved in the play.   I was lucky to be part of the group with the Chairman of B&NES, Peter Edwards and the Mayor of Midsomer Norton, Paul Myers, who turned on the lights.  This gave me a raised view of the throng of people who were present. 

The event was all about community, bringing people together in a friendly spirit to achieve something.  The target was a sensible one for a small market town, hard but not impossible to reach.  Similarly, on Saturday I was in my own village of West Harptree to see the lights switched on.  This is a smaller community but most families in the village had decorated a heart for the Christmas tree and it was a sign of people’s involvement with their neighbours.  Later, I went to a charity evening at the Conservative Club in Keynsham which was raising money for Cancer Research. 

In all three cases it is a small group of dedicated volunteers who do the bulk of the work to provide pleasure for the majority.  As I have written before it is the Big Society which was there long before it became a political thought.  We are fortunate in North East Somerset that each town and village manages to pull together through charity evenings, fairs and Christmas events.  Those of us who attend owe the greatest thanks to those who organise.