POSTCARD FROM BELFAST

Bob Barton goes in search of the Chronicles of Narnia author CS Lewis, steps back in time, learns more about the story of the Titanic and goes to the theatre

- Bob Barton

One of the first things I did on visiting this city was step into Narnia. Officially known as CS Lewis Square, it's the starting point of a trail tracing the author's early life. Mr Tumnus, Aslan the lion and the White Witch are among those resident in the form of sculptures dotted around this surreal public space. Maugrim the wolf lurked menacingly amid some shrubs. Even Jack - as Lewis was known - is frozen in time, about to step into his magical wardrobe.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first of his Chronicles of Narnia (published in 1950) is a favourite book from my youth. The author's childhood was spent here. "Here" is east Belfast. A less visited part of the city, despite also being the cradle of footballing legend George Best and "Van the Man" Morrison. They, too, have their walking trails but I only had time to follow my favourite. To get there from the city centre was an interesting walk, past dramatic wall murals that have been a Belfast trademark ever since the Troubles. Now, they're not all sectarian. The giant shipyard cranes of Harland & Wolff - dubbed Samson and Goliath provided a stunning backdrop, - seemingly whenever I turned a new corner. This is the area that provided the workforce that built the RMS Titanic and other great vessels. I found the site of Clive Staples Lewis's 1898 birthplace, now a modern apartment block but at least marked with a blue plaque. St Mark's Church, where his grandfather was rector, was more interesting. Known as the "lion on the hill", its rectory has a doorhandle little Jack would lion-shaped have used.