THE QUEEN OF England’s former chaplain has criticised the clergy at Norwich Cathedral, after a full-size helter skelter was installed in the centre of the church.
The 55ft fairground ride was put in as part of the cathedral’s “seeing it differently” project, which “aims to give people the chance to experience the Cathedral in an entirely new way and open up conversations about faith”.
The platform at the top offers the chance to see the “unique views of the centuries-old building and its famous medieval roof” from a new angle before sliding down to ground level.
The brainchild of reverend canon Andy Bryant, he said that it offers some “holiday fun” with visitors getting the chance to get a closer look at some of the medieval aspects of the cathedral.
The Dean of Norwich, the very reverend Jane Hedges said: “We hope that this highly unusual installation in the Cathedral will capture the imagination of our visitors and will be enjoyed by people of all ages, along with the many other activities alongside it.”
The right reverend Dr Gavin Ashenden, who was the Queen’s chaplain, took a different view and told the BBC that the idea was “naff” and “unprofessional”.
Expanding that in a further statement, he said: “We live in a culture addicted to distraction and pleasure seeking… The one place one might be free of this could be, ought to be, a cathedral. But for such a place, steeped in mystery and marvel to buy in to sensory pleasure and distraction, is to poison the very medicine it offers the human soul.
It may well be religion, but not as Jesus knew it, taught it, commissioned it or recognises it.
Despite the presence of the helter skelter until Sunday 18 August, the church has assured parishioners that services will continue as normal. It costs £2 per person.
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