Britain's largest Christmas show isn't in London's glitzy West End, but is held in an isolated Norfolk village. Each year thousands of people travel from across the country to watch the Christmas Spectacular at Thursford, near Fakenham.  | | Presenter Aled Jones |
This year the audience will swell to millions when it's featured in a special Christmas Eve edition of Songs Of Praise. The BBC's recently appointed head of religion and ethics, Michael Wakelin, was there to watch the recording. Opening prayersFor him, the show had a special resonance as it was a return to the county where he grew up and his mother, the Reverend Rosemary Wakelin, led the prayers at the start of the programme. Songs Of Praise is believed to be the world's most watched religious programme - and its visit to Thursford was a major operation. All of the venue's 1,300 seats had to be taken out to accommodate the cameras, lighting rigs and equipment. The Christmas Spectacular's winter wonderland-style set provided a stunning backdrop to the TV special, which is hosted by Aled Jones. "The programme itself contains all the elements of what they put on, as well as the big carol sing-song in Songs Of Praise," said Mr Wakelin.  | | A scene from one of Thursford's shows |
Work on the Christmas Eve edition started two years ago when Mr Wakelin, who was brought up in Reedham, was Song Of Praise's series producer. "It's been a long time in the thinking and planning," he said. The Thursford show features a 100-strong cast and welcomes 1,300 people to its twice-daily shows in the run-up to Christmas. Local linksMr Wakelin enjoyed heading back to Norfolk, where his mother and sister still live. "Even though I've travelled away from it a lot, it does always feel like I'm coming home," he said. "It's that sense of being among friends. "Norfolk's such a special place for me," he added. Mr Wakelin, who lives with his family in Manchester and is a Methodist lay preacher, took up his new job in August. He says his religious belief assists him in his role, but only to an extent. "My faith gives me enthusiasm for it, and it's given me a level of expertise, but it doesn't affect my judgement on whether a script is a good script or a shot is a good shot or whether a programme is a good programme," he said. "I'm a professional broadcaster and, in this particular case first and foremost. As it happens I have a faith and I'm not going to hide that from anybody and it matters to me, but that doesn't affect my judgement." Songs Of Praise from Thursford will be shown on BBC One at 4.50pm on Christmas Eve. | 
