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Collection of 130 nativity scenes to go on display

The Reverend Michael Bigg A nativity scene from Peru. It has figurines wearing traditional Peruvian clothing. The Reverend Michael Bigg
Mrs Carrier has collected sets while travelling and from family and friends who know about her collection

A woman who has collected more than 130 nativity scenes from around the world has temporarily handed them over for a local exhibition.

Marjorie Carrier started collecting the scenes during holidays and had the idea to use them for an exhibit in 2012.

Her collection is on display at St Andrew's Church, in Girton near Cambridge.

Mrs Carrier, from Wyton in Cambridgeshire, said it was "fascinating" to see how different countries used local materials and their own cultures to create models relating to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

Reverend Michael Bigg The nativity scenes are on display in the church on white tables laid out over church pews.Reverend Michael Bigg
The collection is made up of nearly 140 sets

She was inspired to offer the collection as an exhibition by BBC broadcaster Libby Purves, who had her own large nativity collection which she would lend to churches.

Mrs Carrier had asked Purves to lend it to her local church when she was living in Leamington Spa in 2012, but, as it was already booked up, she decided to start her own.

"I've 130 now, going on for 140," she said.

"We had travelled quite a lot and since I started the exhibition, I'm always on the lookout for new nativity sets from the particular country I'm in.

"Friends and relations know I collect them and they try to look out for them.

"It gets people thinking about the true meaning of Christmas."

Reverend Michael Bigg A close up picture of different nativity scenes from around the world. They are a variety of sizes and made out of different materials.Reverend Michael Bigg
Marjorie Carrier began curating her collection to use as an exhibition in 2012

Her collection included some scenes from South America, which featured llamas instead of sheep, a set from Mexico made from local tin and another from Kenya made out of banana fibre.

Mrs Carrier said: "It is really fascinating to see how different societies use their local materials to show the manger scene and to show their own interpretation of the Christmas story. "

The Rector of Girton, the Reverend Michael Bigg, said it was "a wonderful opportunity to see a wide variety" of nativity scenes and reflect.

"We hope that everyone will go away with a fresh perspective on the Christmas story, and how people around the world picture it," he added.

The free exhibition will be open to the public until Friday.

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