Why angels preferred working in the first century

Nativity Factor Winners

The winners of The Nativity Factor 2012 have just been announced, a national competition run by ITN to produce a 3 minute film retelling the Christmas story. Here are the top 3 adult entries:

No Pressure (posted this a few weeks ago)



The Christmas C(h)ord, which I think is brilliant.


and joint third Mary and Joe (camcorder style, very clever)


and Operation Christmas, the Angels wear Prada



great competition this year, I can't see these going viral in the same way as Gavin Tyte's Beatbox Nativity last year, but they're all excellent, and thought provoking in their own way. The Christmas C(h)ord should be getting a play at our main service on Sunday.

Landmark? My 'Orse

The South has unveiled it's answer to the Angel of the North
The unveiling ceremony, witnessed by this video, just made me think 'I didn't realise the Entertainer sold horse models in that slightly bigger size'. Great isn't it, that you can design a £2m public work of art by just browsing through the farm animals section in your local toyshop.

The Ebbsfleet Nag will stand 50 metres high, and greet people as they enter the UK on Eurostar. It's been dubbed the 'Angel of the South', which just goes to show how much Kent Council know about angels. Here is the Angel of the North, for comparison:

the similarities are obvious really. So next time you build something 50 metres high in a field - an office block, a spire, a minaret, a giant statue of Margaret Thatcher - it will be 'The Angel of the.......' (fill in with rough geographical direction from Luton)

A couple of drawbacks:

- they haven't got planning permission yet (?!?!)

- "there could be short term funding problems" (trans: 'we don't have any money, and nobody will give us any')

Unfortunately my entry didn't quite get there in time: