Behind the scenes at the Luminarium

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My work as a steward at the Luminarium was not particularly taxing. The whole thing is basically a giant inflatable which is blown up each morning and there is an ‘airlock’ at the entrance to prevent all the air escaping. Most of the time all I had to do was open and close the doors to let groups of visitors through, or wander about making sure they didn’t bounce off the walls or puncture the plastic. It was really quite relaxing to listen to the gentle, soothing music and enjoy the changing colours. On the last morning though we arrived to find a giant paddling pool! There had been torrential rain in the night and although the luminarium is waterproof when inflated, it isn’t when lying flat on the ground. As we rolled up our trousers and were handed buckets and towels it seemed we would never get ready in time for visitors, when the water was ankle deep, and of course that made the plastic floor incredibly slippery! But it’s surprising what can be done by ten people with plenty of towels. Within an hour it was all dry again, the towels were hanging out to dry, the buckets were hidden away and you would never know it had ever been any different. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2026.