A.Rackham, from Bodleian Library

Postcards from Oxford, 2005

 

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St. Nicholas Church Village of Marston

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Another way of seeing Oxford:
The Morse-Nutter's View

See James Thurber's 1927 essay " A Visit from St. Nicholas (In the Ernest Hemmingway Manner)," from the New Yorker archives

M.Myers

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19 December 2005

Our Christmas tree arrives from the Garden shop in the Covered Market. Owen decorates.

18 December 2005: Church Nativity Play

St. Nicholas Church, Old Marston, included the Junior Church Nativity Play in its Sunday morning service. Wes was Joseph: "Hello, Mary. How are you today?" "Gosh, tell me about it." Owen was First King: " No doubt about it; this is a sign from God."

Some high-tech assistance from the Sunday School teachers: Powerpoint teleprompters for those who didn't learn their lines and canned musical accompaniment for the modern tunes ("Great News, great news, we will bring to you.")

Andrew took a few photos during the dress rehearsal on Saturday. Fortunately during the performance, there was no nose-picking by First King. Wise man indeed.

12 December 2005: School Christmas Shows, part 2

New Marston Primary's Key stages 2 and 3 presented their Christmas pageant in matinee and evening performances today. Wesley's class, dressed in pyjamas, recited "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Moore. The requisite Nativity Play fell to Year 4; bell-ringing was capably managed by year 5, and Year 6 produced a panto-version of Cinderella. Eleven-year-old boys in drag: Why this is screamingly funny to Brits, I don't understand fully.

 

9 December 2005 New Marston Primary School Foundation Stage's Nativity Play

Owen was Third Sheep, with the mysterious moodiness of the Third Murderer. I think his sheep ears were on too tight. Or the elastic band was messing with his bedhead.

Three woolly sheep
Won't stand still
Running around -- on the hill
Keeping all the shepherds busy
Working till they feel quite dizzy--
Baa, baa, baa

The annunciation, by Fiona, was effective and affecting:

"YOU'REGOINGTOHAVEABABY!" "JOSEPH,MARYISGOINGTOHAVEABABYJESUS!"

The announcement was all-caps, in volume and velocity. I can't convey here the stunning screech of the four-year-old angel Gabriel on speed, of course. But you can imagine it.

At her appearance to them, the shepherds convincingly threw themselves on the floor, evidently in shock and awe.









 

Jack was a reluctant Second Wiseman, having second thoughts no doubt about the wisdom of swapping his gameboy for frankinscence. At least he made it to the pageant. Balthazar was home with flu. And no understudy. Took away some bit of the impact of the Visit of the Three Kings, really.

Still to come, the St. Nicholas Church Nativity Play, in which Wesley will present his St. Joseph while Owen tackles the challenging role of First King:

"People call us wise men, but there is much we do not know."

Yikes, the Routemaster ends its 50-year run in London today as a regular bus service. Ten will remain for tourists. Presumably those will be driving round and round the few remaining red telephone boxes.