Wise and loud words from the Angel Gabriel

T'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨'¨he wintery month of December was not complete without a school nativity, with the Angel Gabriel, a sheep and a donkey in tow.
Seven Stars Infant School 1968
Denise Baron is Angel GabrielSeven Stars Infant School 1968
Denise Baron is Angel Gabriel
Seven Stars Infant School 1968 Denise Baron is Angel Gabriel

Pupils get excited as the teacher doles out the parts and parents groan at the thought of making costumes fit for a star performance.

Reader Denise Davis (nee Baron) shares the above photo of a nativity at Seven Stars Infant School in 1968, which features plenty of kings and angels poised to tell the story of Christ’s birth.

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The 54-year-old was given the very important role of the Angel Gabriel and worked hard to remember all her lines.

Denise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School LeylandDenise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School Leyland
Denise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School Leyland

Denise, who now lives in Lostock Hall, says: “This photo brings a smile to my face. I enjoy having memories of friends and of the people I see around Leyland.

“I remember that I was Angel Gabriel and I had to learn my lines. I had to stand at one end of the hall on a box and say my lines as loud as I could.

“I was only six and I was really nervous. I can’t remember much about the play.”

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The mother-of-two, who grew up in Ribble Road, Leyland, added she had fond memories of both the infant and junior school.

Denise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School LeylandDenise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School Leyland
Denise Davis (nee Baron) at Seven Stars Junior School Leyland

She adds: “I remember liking my teacher and she read us stories. That is the main thing that stands out for me.

“The juniors was a separate building to the infants, which I obviously went to when I moved up. I then attended Worden High School.”

Denise shared the photo on Leyland Memories Facebook group, adding: “We are all looking very stern. I think Miss Buck had just shouted at us.

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“I think Miss Buck was head of infant and juniors and based at juniors and Mrs Donkin was deputy and based at infants. Miss Buck was like an old-school-style of teacher.”

The photo also reminded former pupils of other plays they did, namely Noah’s Ark at the junior school.

Simon Parker posts: “I remember being a lead sheep, carrying a cutout cardboard sheep face on a wooden stick, but that was probably Noah’s Ark not the nativity.”

Denise adds: “It was nice seeing comments on Facebook.

“Other people can see the photo and share their happy memories and identify themselves.”

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