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Flower Festival at Chichester Cathedral
by Patrick and Moira Allen
Every other year, for the past fourteen years, the cold stones
of Chichester's 800-year-old cathedral come to life with a
dazzling profusion of blooming colour: The Chichester Cathedral
Flower Festival. Groups, guilds and individuals vie with one
another to produce the most spectacular display, decking chapels,
tombs and chantries with vivid bouquets and carefully planned
arrangements. In the RAF chapel, for example, flowers are
arranged to depict propeller blades, while in the newly
refurbished St. John chapel, an artful pile of blossom-decked
timbers depicts the collapse of the cathedral spire in 1861.
Some exhibits (like the spire) reflect the history of the church,
while others take on more spiritual themes, such as the bouquets
symbolizing "repentance and forgiveness" at the pulpit.
Still others honor the temporal sphere: In the Lady Chapel,
bouquets represent different parts of the world, and (where
possible) incorporate flowers from those regions. But most
dramatic are the contrasts: The vivid hues of flowers against the
natural tones of stone and wood; the juxtaposition of ephemeral
blossoms that will fade within days against stones hewn centuries
ago and that may stand for centuries to come. Yet even here it's
difficult to say which is the most eternal: The hewn stones,
which may in time collapse (like that unfortunate spire), or the
flowers themselves, which, though short-lived, were blooming
before the cathedral was built and will continue to bloom long
after it is gone. What better way to express the mystery of
rebirth and eternal life?
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"A market for the poor" |
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A carpet of colour spills from the "Chagall window" |

Flowers adorn the statue of St. Richard, the cathedral's founder. |

The church as it appeared before the collapse of the original spire. |

A dove perches upon the "collapsed" spire. |
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A child's Christmas tea-party. |

"Christening," from the "Celebrations of Life" display. |

"Wedding," from "Celebrations of Life." |

The wedding cake looks good enough to eat! |

"Funeral," from "Celebrations of Life." |

Propeller blade from the RAF Chapel display. |
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Exotic blooms represent the Pacific Islands. |
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A lavish display of gold garlands an interior doorway.... |

While real fruits and vegies garland the door leading to the food tent. |
For more information on Chichester Cathedral, visit http://www.chichestercathedral.org.uk
Moira Allen, editor of TimeTravel-Britain.com, has been writing and editing for more than 25 years, and is the author of more than 300 articles and seven books. In 2007 Allen achieved her lifelong dream of living in England, spending 15 months in Hastings before returning to the US in 2008 (with about 17,000 digital photos!). In the process, Allen became addicted to Victorian periodicals and has recently launched a new website, Mostly-Victorian.com, which archives hundreds of Victorian articles. For more information about Allen's books and other writing, visit her other website at http://www.writing-world.com.
Photos © 2008 by Patrick and Moira Allen
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