A RECORD variety of shepherds and sensible men got here together in St Mary’s, Mildenhall, in Suffolk, after a call-out to the community.
A complete of 2392 nativity sets were on display on the church over Christmas, and, on 3 January, it was announced that a latest world record had been set. Sets were donated by businesses, schools, and the library, in addition to residents, and neighbouring churches.
“They brought them from near and much,” the Team Vicar, the Revd Sue Leathley, said.
Many of the nativity sets were made by hand, using a wide range of craft techniques. The display attracted “more visitors than we’ve ever had”, Ms Leathley said.
The previous world record was 2150, set by a church in Florida in 2010. This was greater than Ms Leathley had expected when she set out on the project, and an “extra push” was required to take the record.
A final count of the collected Holy Families took place on 3 January, before the figures were returned to their owners. The Mayor of Mildenhall, Russell Leaman, and the Deputy Mayor, Grace Bristow, took part within the count, which it’s hoped will probably be verified by Guinness World Records.
