Paul Willmott, who works for churches in no less than 28 primary schools throughout the West Midlands, says the nativity story is still known by many... and he’s well qualified to assess,

as he speaks with at least 10,000 youngsters on his travels.

The 39-year-old father-of-two said: “It’s not as bad as reports make out. In the build-up to one quite recent Christmas, I was invited to story tell at a Birmingham library and was well pleased by what children know.”

After using his puppet – Kato the lion – to get the “real meaning” of Christmas wrong by saying it’s all about receiving presents, Paul then sets a unique nativity scene. Mary and Joseph are prince and princess travelling in a big, flash motor in a story involving a car chase and castle and a helicopter and hotel.

“Each time I elaborate on the tale, a youngster always corrects me.” Paul, who was sent to Sunday school from the tender age of three, said he was a typical child who only really thought about presents during the festive period – despite knowing all the Bible stories.

He added: “I really do think it’s the same with children today. Certainly with the kids that I see; it’s not that they don’t know what Christmas is about, but that they focus on the presents.”

Paul said his own focus began to change at the age of ten. He made a personal decision to become a Christian and gradually got

involved with children’s work through his church. As time progressed he developed juggling and unicycling skills, which have put him in good standing for his current work, which he’s undertaken full-time since 1996.