Finally, 1 st July arrived and eight of us arrived with our partners at the Titanic Atrium to view our work. The blue flax flowers looked wonderful; they were suspended using flax cord, with loose flax fibres from Mallon Flax Farm disguising the florist rings when viewed from above.
As I have tried to show in the photo, they looked especially impressive set against the rusted metallic effect of sections of the walls. We all enjoyed spotting our own flowers. The installation comprises 32 individual items, with a total of 112 individual flowers (and another 14 expected from Fiona in Portugal). There is also a helpful information board in the Atrium with information about the creation of our flax
flowers.
A great afternoon followed for us all. Firstly, we enjoyed a trip around this world-famous museum. The tour takes you firstly through the rise of Belfast, showing how much of its wealth came from linen production. So much, indeed, that it was nicknamed Linenopolis. The displays then move on to the rise of ship building, and of course to the construction of the Titanic. An automated ride takes you past men tending furnaces or hammering in the massive rivets that held the ship together.
Later, through the clever use of projection, you stand on a floor that apparently rises up through the body of the ship allowing you to see inside each deck. The museum also has a collection of relics from the ship, and the final gallery allows you to follow the underwater search for the wreck.
Following our tour, we were treated to tea, scones and cake in a reception room, and then met the museum CEO for a photo opportunity. She thanked us for our work, saying how delighted she was with the results. Following our visit, my final task as coordinator was to reimburse everyone’s expenses. We were also able to reward each volunteer for their hard work with a mall ‘thank you’ from the remainder of the budget.
Postscript
Several members kindly volunteered to make up for Fiona’s lost flowers – including Fiona who made four more medium flowers and nine small flowers – only for the ‘lost’ ones to arrive the day after their replacement. I am currently stitching these to florist
rings for hanging and have a total of another eleven medium blooms and one ring of nine small to deliver. I hope you enjoy looking at our photos.
Article by Shelley Steele, Region 14