A LOCAL school celebrated the festive period with their first live nativity performance.

This was unlike your average performance, however, as the show featured four goats, three camels, two sheep and a donkey.

There were no bit-parts for the primary school students at Holme Grange, as they were joined in their storytelling of the miracle of Christmas by the live animals.

This meant that instead of children dressing up to represent the animals of the Nativity scene there were real living creatures participating in the tableau.

The story started in a wooded area of the school and the characters and their guests travelled through the trees to a clearing where a crib was set up.

Mary and Joseph, with a donkey, followed the Angel Gabriel holding a star, also accompanied by the Shepherds tending their flock of sheep and some goats. The Magi and their three camels came to visit the manger.

The camels were provided buy Joseph’s Amazing Camels, the donkey from Total Farm Nursery, a parent brought along the sheep and the four pygmy goats are permanent residents of Holme Grange School.