Controversial?

A 55ft helter skelter has this week sprung up in Norwich Cathedral’s Nave as part of the Seeing It Differently project that aims to give people the chance to experience the Cathedral in an entirely new way and open up conversations about faith. 

It took four people two days to build the 55ft (16.7m) fairground ride in the Norman cathedral.

The cathedral said it allowed people to stand close to its medieval roof bosses, believed to be the largest display of its kind in the world.

The Right Reverend Dr Gavin Ashenden, former chaplain to the Queen, said the cathedral had made a "mistake".  He said the clergy at Norwich Cathedral had been "unprofessional" and were "making a mistake about what a cathedral is good for".  He said there was no evidence that tourists become Christians and "just to put in entertainment is naff".  "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," he said.

The cathedral said it was a creative way to share the story of the Bible.

What do you think?

Sadly M and I were unable to ride down it as all the tickets were sold out for the day, but we very much enjoyed going to visit it.  The extra shows the whole helter-skelter, it dates from the 1950s I believe.  This was a favourite fairground ride when I was a child.