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Helen Thomas talked to Martin Leigh, Vicar of Cheddleton in Leek:

Ìý“It starts really on Christmas eve, we have a crib service at 6 o'clock, and then the midnight starts, we’ve got to make lots of preparations for that because that’s quite a large too around 150 - 180 people turn up for that. I tend to get to bed about half past - quarter to 2 and have to be up for 7am to be in church for the 8 o'clock communion on Christmas day.

Going round to keep people company

"I come home to breakfast before going to the 10.30am service, and then we have lunch together and then I go round to see people who are the sort of the singletons. I go round to lighten them up, tell them jokes.

The church in Cheddleton

"I used to be a bit resentful because I didn’t see lots of the children over Christmas, though they’ve all flown the nest now, when I started I wondered why we had to work over Christmas and everyone was having a good time, but I still have a good time and I see loads of people.

A late celebration

"My Birthday’s on December 28th and so the family all gather round on December 28th and we have our Christmas lunch with turkey and stuffing and goodness knows what. On the 28th we can open whatever bottle it is we’re after, I‘ve done all my communions by then, and so we have a nice family time, it’s only 3 days later and that’s fine.

"We have white, cream and gold robes for Christmas, don’t know if they suit me but my colleague Pat looks fabulous in them! Christmas is always special and always lovely, it’s just a feast that goes back over 2000 years and in this country, it’s when people relax and enjoy the best things in life.

A terrific time of year

"The stories are the same but they always re-echo in people’s minds and in people’s memories, and I think there’s something marvellous about thinking about Jesus, a baby being born in a manger, not inside of a pub even, not in a hotel, but in some no doubt smelly cattle store in the back of beyond.
And saying what we need to do as Christians is to really be loving and caring to each other and to recognise God’s love and care in that particular present of Jesus at Christmas. And there’s the Shepard’s on the hills and the wise men, and all the kids dressed up with tea towels on their heads pretending to be Shepard’s a or crown’s that unravel and end up on the floor, and it’s terrific, I love it, I wouldn’t be without if for the world.