Many of us have fond memories of school Nativity plays, as parents and children.

Some of today's end-of-term productions seem far removed from those of yesteryear when an old bed cloth, tea towel and length of rope were used to knock up a shepherd's outfit and the play followed much the same pattern every year.

Was the old formula such a bad thing?

Rumours abound that schools are avoiding traditional Nativity plays because schools are ethnically mixed and teachers are conscious of not offending anyone.

While that does not seem to be widespread in Oxford, it would be a sad day if all the old magic disappeared.

Some so-called Nativity productions in the city, like The Hoity-Toity Angel and Whoops-a-Daisy Angel, appear to bear little resemblance to the Christmas story as we know it.