If you thought you saw Mary and Joseph with three wise men and a troupe of 90 shepherds and angels heading to The Oval in Stevenage this morning, your eyes were not deceiving you.

The Year 1 pupils at Giles Nursery and Infants' School in Durham Road walked to All Saints Church on Vardon Road to put on a magical performance of the Christmas nativity, filling the room with festive cheer with rousing renditions of carols including Silent Night and Little Donkey.

Headteacher Rouane Mendel said: "This is the highlight of the year. We really do Christmas in style at this school and we have a wonderful time."

Addressing the children after the play, Reverend Pete Orton said: "It was fantastic and you were all stars. You have brought a fantastic presence to this building today and that's a real gift. Christmas is not about presents under the tree, it's about the people around it."