Schools all over the area have been celebrating the start of the Christmas holidays this week, with a string of parties and productions, ranging from traditional nativities, to plays and pantomimes featuring characters including aliens, astronauts and Walt Disney's Aladdin.

Eastern Daily Press: Ladybird Pre-school Nursery's Mary and Joseph, Margot and Connor, who starred in a nativity production staged at the Lighthouse Church. Photo: Karen BethellLadybird Pre-school Nursery's Mary and Joseph, Margot and Connor, who starred in a nativity production staged at the Lighthouse Church. Photo: Karen Bethell (Image: Archant)

At Sheringham nursery Ladybird, tots delighted parents with a festive play featuring a cast of camels, shepherds and angels.

Entitled Nativity For Little Ones and held for the first time this year at the Lighthouse Church, on Cromer Road, the production featured around 30 three and four-year-olds, who danced and sang songs including Wobbling About on a Camel and Jumping for Joy.

Nursery secretary Helen Jewers said holding the annual event at the church, rather than at Ladybird's Cromer Road headquarters, made it seem 'extra special'.

'It is a beautiful venue, we have so much more space for parents and it has been a wonderful way to get everyone in the Christmas spirit at the start of the festive season,' she said.

Eastern Daily Press: Ladybird Pre-school Nursery's three Wise Men, who starred in a nativity production staged at the Lighthouse Church. Photo: Karen BethellLadybird Pre-school Nursery's three Wise Men, who starred in a nativity production staged at the Lighthouse Church. Photo: Karen Bethell (Image: Archant)

At Sheringham Primary School, staff and pupils pulled out all the stops to stage three productions for enthusiastic audiences of family and friends.

Receptions pupils performed A really Noisy Nativity in the school hall, mixing modern-day themes with the traditional Christmas story, while infant classes took to the stage at St Peter's Church to appear in a musical telling the tale of three rogue market traders who, after trying to sell directions to Bethlehem to the Three Kings, change their ways after visiting Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the stable.

The junior pupils' play, which was entitled An Out of This World Christmas, featured a cast of astronauts who, on landing on the planted Zork, had to share the true meaning of Christmas with a group of aliens in order to enlist the creatures' help in getting back to earth to share Christmas with their families.

Sheringham Primary senior teacher Tim Groves thanked staff, parents and pupils for their support.

'Grateful thanks also go to Revd Christian Heycocks for allowing us to use the church and Sanders Coaches for laying on transport,' Mr Groves added. 'It was marvellous to see how much effort the children put in to their performances and they particularly enjoyed learning the songs.'

At Aldborough Primary School, parents and friends were treated to a full-scale production of the pantomime Aladdin, while, at Cromer Juniors, youngsters followed a school tradition to stage a carol service and nativity in the parish church, also taking part in a bag-packing and carol singing session at Morrison supermarket in aid of the ITV charity Text Santa.