Stansborough Tent Report

NarniaWeb moderator Coracle sent in this lovely report after discovering Narnia and Stansborough at her local agricultural show. She's included wonderful descriptions of Stansborough's new Narnian product line - thanks, Coracle!

Stansborough Fibres Spotted at Christchurch A&P Show, New Zealand

I can no longer avoid spotting Narnia, no matter where I go. I was with a group of people visiting our city’s large agricultural show yesterday, when I noticed the familiar Narnia poster outside a display tent. “Oh! Narnia!” I exclaimed, “I have to look in here.”

Going through the tent entrance was not like opening the Wardrobe door, and nor did I have the chance to shut myself in (it was far too hot for enclosed spaces anyway). But once inside, I quickly found the wonderful Stansborough displays of Narnian and Middle Earth products.

I introduced myself to Cheryl and Barry Eldridge, who were very pleased to meet a Narniawebber in person, and allowed me to take photos; Cheryl invited me to try on a cloak, so I chose Lucy’s red one. Does it suit me?

The wools are so soft in all these scarves, sashes, tunics and cloaks. The reds and golds really appeal to me personally; how I wish I had been able to buy a whole set of them! Cheryl told me that the dwarf tunics are made in child sizes, as people buy them for their children, not themselves. I was also allowed to try on one of the Lucy berets, crocheted to the pattern I have already tried from The Wardrobe Door. (Theirs were very neatly done!) These look like being a popular item for girls in the coming northern winter.

The designs on the scarves and tunics are woven in; they’re simple-looking, suggesting Narnians are plain, down-to-earth people (hmm, a bit like hobbits?)

The pointy part on Orieus’s tunic goes down under the front legs and attaches to the rest of his costume. The satyrs wear a sash, not a scarf. Maybe that helps to distinguish them from fauns?

The lovely little Narnian winter scene behind me was custom made by the Eldridges, including the lamp. With a little imagination we were in wintry Narnia - although it was certainly summer “back there” outside the tent, with the temperature at 29 degrees C.

In another corner of the tent it was Middle Earth, with a rack of beautiful soft, natural wool scarves and flat caps (and a cardboard Frodo modelling them). Barry was modelling one of their world-famous grey Elven cloaks, and very kindly posed beside a LOTR poster.

Coracle, 11 November 2005.

View Stansborough Swatches and Stansborough's line of Narnia products