Council brings back Nativity Trail after a year’s absence

Birmingham is reinstating its Nativity Trail at the city’s art gallery, just a year after it was dropped as a regular feature of its Christmas celebrations, writes Paul Wilkinson.

At the time, its demise after eight years was blamed on a lack of funding and a review of all events set up by the independent trust that took control of Birmingham’s galleries and museums from the city council in 2012. The trail, which is billed as illustrating the Christmas story through the eyes of some of the world’s greatest artists, runs from 24 November until Christmas Eve. The Archbishop of Birmingham, Bernard Longley, said he was “delighted” by the decision.