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There was uproar in a Greater Manchester town at the weekend as it was announced that a beloved Christmas event might be in jeopardy.

The Walking Nativity, a live action performance of the Nativity story from the Bible, has been a hallmark of the festive period in Atherton for more than a decade.

Children from local schools walk in the parade through the town centre, headed by a pair of primary school children playing Mary and Joseph, riding working donkeys shipped in from Blackpool.

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'Mary and Joseph' knock on a number of pubs but seek refuge in Atherton Parish Church, where the rest of the story of Jesus' birth is performed, along with carol singing.

Husband and wife Brian and Eileen Seddon - who also run the

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