What a super evening!  Thanks to the very kind hospitality of Michael and Frances Gray were were again able to hold our annual carol service in Grace’s Barn, accompanied this year by Judy Bishop’s two donkeys (thank you so much Judy) instead of sheep – perhaps sheep and donkeys next year!  Our tableau of the nativity story was on a farm trailer against the backdrop of dozens of bags of fertiliser.  In the cold evening we thus had the experience of what it must have been like in a real stable.

Robert Hall kindly organised the lighting and directed the tableau of the nativity story and Chris Ellis arranged our lighting.  Jeremy Chiari played the keyboard.  Thank you to all of them.  Thank you as well to our actors: Will Barrett (the Innkeeper), Eloise (Mary), Jack (Joseph), Sophie (Gabriel), Paul Ireland, Nick Ashford, Rick Barot as the Shepherds, Will Parry, Ed Wheatley and Jamie Reid as the Magi.

Thank you also to our readers Robert Hall, Tim Clapp, Julia Wright and Lucy Pease.

Thank you so much to Charlie Gloyns and Sophie Goodall for serving the mulled wine and mince pies and for Clare Davies for kindly donating these for this occasion.  Thank you Charlie and Sophie so much for keeping your nerve as well when the table carrying all the mulled wine and mince pies collapsed! Thank you so much to Patrick and Charlotte Appleby for organising our parking and to David Swinstead for sorting out our Risk Assessment.  A fantastic evening and a lot of fun.

Christmas has really started now in the Itchen Valley!