THROUGHOUT Advent, there was a remarkable exhibition of floral
design in St German's Cathedral, on the Isle of Man (Sodor
& Man). The whole building was filled with beautifully
designed installations of pine cones, dried flowers and grasses,
seeds and seed heads, moss, bark, pebbles, and glittering baubles,
all created by Floreat, a group formed of members of
flower-arranging clubs from all over the island.
They had worked together with cathedral staff, inspired by C. S.
Lewis and the Narnia tales to provide a Narnia experience, "The
Thaw Begins". Alongside the exhibits were storyboards featuring
some of Lewis's work, which offered a self-guided tour round the
cathedral.
There was also the cathedral's own "Narnia", a private space
"through the wardrobe", and in it could be found a huge painting of
Aslan the Lion, created by Roy Nixon. The problem was what to do
with it when the exhibition closed at Christmas. Silent auction
bids were invited, but came to nothing. The last I heard was the
possibility that it could go to a children's hospice.