Their creative efforts were on show for the Gingerbread Spectacular at All Saints’ Parish Church between Saturday and Tuesday, December 2-5.
Christine Walker, a reader with the lay ministry team, said: “We asked the local community to create memorable biblical scenes using a gingerbread theme but any medium.
“Some amazing displays were created, by local infant and junior all saints schools, church congregations and families, uniformed organisations such as rainbows, beavers, scouts, cubs brownies guides and rangers and the Boys Brigade.”
There were also exhibits created by local businesses like the Cut Above hair and nail salon and employers such as Slimming World and the National Highways agency, which helped to bolster the show’s fundraising for Gingerbread, a national charity that advocates for and supports single parents.
Local artists Miranda Gratton and Lesley Lloyd judged the competition and settled on joint winners from All Saints’ Junior School, where the Hawthorne class had recreated the parting of the Red Sea and Blackthorne had crafted Noah’s ark, complete with lit interior and an animal menagerie.
Other entries included nativities, Samson and Delilah, a road closures caused by the visit of three kings, a huge fish belching up Jonah and a felt Jesus greeting a crowd of children.
The grand opening on Saturday, also saw more donations raised for Period Poverty – which provides sanitary pads for disadvantaged women – as the St Giles church Mothers’ Union rigged up a zip wire to fly teddies, unicorns and even a Chewbacca toy from balcony to the front pews.
3. All Saints' Gingerbread Spectacular
"Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." — Matthew 19:14 Photo: Christine Walker
