There is something distinctly incongruous about arriving to do some tourist guiding in an ancient church, only to be greeted by the screaming of around 200 over-excited primary school-aged children in the midst of recreating scenes from C.S.Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (for those of you not up to speed with these things, it's a UK children's classic story). The accompanying adults - teachers and education officer - had the look of those who have seen too much.
Within ten minutes of arriving and taking charge of the keys to the crypt (yes, I am, indeed, the Crypt Keeper, for real!), the whole experience became increasingly surreal. I was approached by Mr.Tumnus, the faun. Unlike the White Rabbit in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (another UK children's classic tale) he was not crying, "Oh, my ears and whiskers." Oh no, not Mr.Tumnus...
"Only another two hours and I can go to the pub," he hissed at me from underneath his unruly, synthetic mop of golden curls and slightly skewed horns, "I need several drinks! Right," he continued, squaring his shoulders and taking a deep breath for courage, "horns akimbo and back to the fray."
Sometimes, your day brightens up all by itself, doesn't it?
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