At the time I had no idea why they were being removed. When I arrived there was a number of volunteers putting out 'millions' of candles. Ok that may be an exaggeration :) according to the Cathedral Web site there where over 5000 candles.
I asked the lady on the desk why the chairs were being removed and how often does it happen.
She said 'Always at Candlemas each year, plus other times if necessary for cleaning or an event'
I had heard of Candlemas but was not sure what it was.
I have copied this paragraph from Wikipedia ....
Candlemas, also known as the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Feast of the Presentation of our Lord Jesus, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. It falls on February 2nd, which is traditionally the 40th day of the Christmas-Epiphany season. While it is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them on Candlemas. On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Anglicans, Methodists, Lutherans, Orthodox and Roman Catholics) also bring their candles to their local church, where they are blessed and then used for the rest of the year.You can see the whole article here
It was surprising the difference the absence of chairs made to the Nave. Not only were the chairs removed but the area just below the Octagon was also removed. This is normally roped off. I was able to stand directly below the Octagon and shoot straight up. As you will see I got the angle slightly wrong :(. I also took the opportunity to shoot a 360 degree panorama from this position. I will be making a note in my diary to visit again next year.
