Picture gallery: Nativity and Christmas plays

NATIVITY performances and Christmas plays have been put on by children across North Somerset this festive season.

Many added their own twist to the traditional Christmas story to entertain teachers and parents and some performed their very own yuletide tales.

* A TRUMPET played a special part in the St Peter’s Primary School key stage one Christmas play, in which the Romans learnt how much more there was to Christmas time. The youngsters at the Portishead school performed a dress rehearsal to the rest of the school before presenting their play to a full house of parents and friends.

* THREE children travelled far and wide to find a present for baby Jesus in Fairfield School’s production of a Christmas Rose. Along their journey the Backwell children met shepherds, animals, stars and finally Angel Gabriel who showed them to the Christmas Rose.

* YOUNGSTERS at St Mary’s Primary School in Portbury gave a spectacular performance of The Sleepy Shepherd. Pupils in reception and years one and two performed the play in which the sleepiest shepherd discovered there was something worth staying awake for, as a bright star led him to the birth of a special baby.

* KINGS, angels, shepherds and stars took to the stage at St Francis Preschool in Nailsea for the Christmas nativity. Children at the Ash Hayes Road venue learnt about the Christian festival and got into the Christmas spirit ready for the performance to parents.

* AT WEST Leigh Infant School in Backwell, Key Stage One pupils told the story of Ned the Donkey who finds out the real meaning of Christmas before seeing a real nativity play for himself.

* AN OLD teddy was fixed by Father Christmas during a play put on by children in year one and two at High Down Infant School in Portishead. The Christmas Factory saw Santa Claus arrive to help a little girl whose teddy needed fixing. She travels with him to the North Pole with her brother and sister and on the way they learn about the true meaning of Christmas.

* A PERFORMANCE of Stable Manners by children at Kingshill Primary School in Nailsea was well-received by many proud parents. Every child at the school dressed up and took part in the production, which included soloists, hand jives, musicians and lots of enthusiastic singing, after only two weeks of rehearsals.

* A DISORGANISED angel, Whoops-a-Daisy Angel, was chosen to show the way to Bethlehem with lots of help from her friends during a Christmas play at Trinity Primary School in Portishead. The three to five-year-olds involved enjoyed the chance to combine music, song, dance and narration and the enchanting tale was judged as a great learning experience for everyone with the true meaning of the festive season included.

* A LETTER to Santa was the title of a special Christmas production put on for parents by Key Stage Two children at Wraxall Primary School. This was held as well as a traditional nativity also put on by the school.

* AT ST John’s Primary School in Clevedon, children in reception performed the Sleepy Shepherd for their Christmas play and year four pupils also performed a traditional nativity during two carol services held at the school and at St John’s Church.