Gig Review - Hawksworth School Nativity ***** You can't buy better entertainment than this, twenty odd four to seven year olds performing the birth of Jesus with varying degrees of enthusiasm and ability. We had gone along as Godparents to Joseph, who was playing a shepherd, apparently a mute one, but there you go. My Godson seemed faintly baffled by the whole thing, he sang a word or two here and there, played with his fingers, walked his sheep across the head of another shepherd and accidently jettisoned one of his flock from the stage. The show stealers of the nativity were the two word perfect girls who played the innkeepers, and the little lad playing Herod. As Herod was halfway through giving his instructions to his page regarding the appearence of wise men at his door, the page turned to go, clearly thinking that as he'd heard all this in rehearsal he didn't have to put up with it again, Herod responded to this slight in true kingly fashion with a bellow of............. "OY! PAUL, COME BACK, I HAVN'T FINISHED YET!" The audience of parents, grandparents, Godparents and families were reduced to helpless fits of giggles. Other high points included having to guess why the journey of the wise men (round the side of the hall and back down the centre aisle) took three times as long as the journey of the shepherds, a little girl shouting to the teacher "Miss, some of the people are laughing at us" and an energetic pushing and shoving match between Herod and his page. The whole event was utterly charming and wonderful in the way that only very small children can be, I can't wait for Goddaughter Ellie's first nativity play, I don't think she'll be as quiet as her older brother. Congratulations to the headmaster and teachers for staging the event, it was magical. Talking to Hon. Sec at the golf club yesterday, he reports going to see his grandchildren in a nativity where the innkeeper opened the door to Mary and Joseph with the words...... "And where they bloody hell have you two been ?"