NO JESUS IN CLITHEROE

Now, I have never been a huge fan of major religious iconography but it's a small world and we all have to share and get on with each other. This of course requires a little give and take. On Tuesday last, in order to forget my Birthday trauma the previous day, my friend Jonathan and I went on a little jaunt which after a very pleasant day taking photos of the snow covered Pennines, ended up in Clitheroe in Lancashire. Considering the main indulgences of Christmas were now over it was surprisingly bustling and many festive lights adorned the town.

We did the usual things that touriests do of course, including a bitterly cold ascent of the lethally iced steps up to the Castle and took in the panoramic views. On the way back down thinking only of a hot cup or tea or coffee and a warm place to drink it and shelter from the Siberian style wind, we passed Clitheroe's Nativity. "Hold on a Mo" said my friend, who was scrutinising the tableau "something's wrong here the Baby Jesus is missing. And so it proved. There was Joseph, Mary, the oxen etc, but it was true, the Crib was empty and Baby Jesus was nowhere to be found.

So who would do such a thing? could it be social services has taken it away because of the Arctic conditionss which were certainly not suitable for rearing a newly born infant, or, had local Pagans decided to exact their revenge, Perhaps even Mary and Joseph had failed to pay the local Romans the full applicable amount of Council tax ? Sadly the most likely solution to this mystery was that local Yobboes had nicked it whilst out on a drunken Xmas spree.

As i mentioned earlier, i don't go large on this kind of religious stuff but I do respect other people and their beliefs and even the traditions which go with it. and I think its s sad reflection of the times we now live in that some sniggering twat thought it was funny to nick the baby from the Christmas Nativity. I know from friends in that area that this is not typical of the people of Clitheroe but more likely a manifestation of the legacy of Thatchers Children served up with a Garnish of New Labour who together, had stolen the goodness from our society and replaced it with sniggering greed and materialism.

Hard to believe i suppose but it also later made the local press and Media, and they don't lie do they ? So whats the moral of this tale, is it my political rant about stolen values or merely a reminder that if you should go to Clitheroe, next Christmas, don't forget to take your own Baby Jesus with you. It may just come in handy. I think we should be told.