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Norwich church's Tiger Tommy is internet hit 
TommyTiger430A Norwich church’s attempt to recreate the famous John Lewis Christmas advert featuring Monty the Penguin, but pointing to the real meaning of Christmas, has become an overnight internet hit. Keith Morris reports.

The video, from St Thomas Norwich church, features three-year-old Zac, son of one of the church’s vicars, and church children’s mascot Tommy the Tiger.
 
The two-minute YouTube video has clocked up over 5,000 views in its first two days, but still has a way to go to challenge the 18 million views for the John Lewis original.
 
Church minister, Rev Ian Dyble, said: “I think the idea was one of those things that came up in a team meeting and developed from there.  We produce a weekly video news, along with welcome videos etc, so it seemed to make sense to do something to get both the message of Christmas and details of our Christmas services out.  Tommy is our children’s mascot and helps the children with action songs every week.
 
TommyTiger410“We are quite taken a back by the amazing response but really pleased that it is being so well received.  I had one message this morning from someone describing himself as ‘an agnostic’ saying ‘love is love. What a good film.  Thank you.”  
 
Church student intern, Beej Harris, is the resident ‘Steven Spielberg’ who produced the video. He said: “It was a really easy to film because Zac didn’t know that the tiger was a human in a costume - which helped a lot. All his reactions were real, it was lovely,”
 
Ian said: “We’d love as many people as possible to come and join us at our Christmas services.  Everyone will be made very welcome - and Tommy will be around to say ‘hello!’”

 
www.stthomasnorwich.org/christmas
 
See the video below or click here
 
 


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