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Chester The Giant City

Romans walking with giants this weekend

Two city icons are coming together across the centuries as part of the roman festival of Minerva. The free festival will take place on Sunday, 31st May from 11am to 5pm, with a whole day of events taking place at Minerva’s Shrine in Edgar’s Field, Handbridge just over the Old Dee Bridge.

As well as a Military and Giant parade through Chester starting at the cross at noon there will be a dedication to Minerva’s Shrine, the only one in the UK, at 1pm.

Chester’s Giants are getting ready for the summer by taking part in the unique festival in celebration of the Roman Goddess Minerva. Minerva was the goddess of the River Dee. She is also said to be the goddess of arts and crafts.

The festival promises to be a fun action packed day out, with a great deal to entertain both adults and children alike with a military parade, Ya Raqs dancers, ancient crafts, and a unique chance to meet Minerva’s owl. As well as the main festival, there will be family activities taking place throughout the day at Grovesnor museum.

Kristine Szulik from ChestertheGiantCity said;
“BiG Storage and ChestertheGiantCity are working together to encourage community groups to build giants; to get involved in Chester’s heritage and culture; and to take part in our own BiG Giant Parade on June 20th & 21st.
One of the groups taking part in our parade, some young people from the Blacon Adventure Playground, decided to create a Minerva Giant so we thought it would be a good idea to bring Minerva and a few of her Giant Friends along to the dedication of the shrine.
One of the great things about creating a giant is to get involved in community activities, and when the giants are not in use they are stored at BiG Storage, on Sealand Road, ready for next time.”
She added;
“Anyone can build a giant and you can either build a traditional 14’ giant or a Giant-Littler, a smaller version.”

Contact Kristine Szulik the Project Director for ChestertheGiantCity on 07789 425 468 or see www.bigstorage.info

More information on the Minerva Festival celebrations from www.romantoursuk.com and www.chesterromanfestival.co.uk

ENDS – 360 words

For more information and photos please visit:
http://www.marketingprojects.co.uk/news/chester-the-giant-city

Chester is unique in that it has a Family of Giants and a tradition of giant-making that can be traced back through Guild records to the 14th Century.
Chester’s modern Family of Giants started life when Dave Roberts came across ‘Nathandriel’, A Giant that was on a visit from Huddersfield to Chester. Nathandriel’s maker (and author of Medieval Dancing Giants Lee Gilbert, had brought Nathandriel on a pilgrimage to Chester. In Medieval times Chester had been the Mecca for giant-building and possessed the only known Family of Giants in the country. Giants were walking the streets of Chester in the late 1400s until the puritanical reign of Oliver Cromwell in the mid 1660s.
Dave Roberts was so inspired by the notion that Giants had been such an important activity in Chester he decided to reintroduce the building of Giants into Chester as a creative way in which to encourage young people in Lache and Blacon to gain an insight into their culture and heritage.
In Midsummer 1989 a male giant (still used in the Midsummer Watch today), and the Father of Chester’s current Family of Giants, became the first giant to walk through the streets of Chester for over 300 years.
In Midsummer 2009 Chester will celebrate not only the 20th Anniversary of Chester’s modern Family of Giants but also the beginning of “Chester the Giant City” thus creating a link between Chester’s past, present and future.

Chester – The Giant City Community Interest Company has been created to unite the Private, Public and Third Sector around the physical and metaphorical concept of giants. The company will draw upon the culture and heritage of the city and surrounds to create vibrant and innovative social, environmental and economic opportunities for communities.
Individuals, groups, charities, businesses, and whole communities will benefit as they will be offered the opportunity to interpret the concept of Chester – The Giant City. This will create job opportunities, build businesses (social enterprises) and develop the tourist industry. In the long-term the whole creative model will add value to the regeneration process of Chester & District.
The company will support the development and growth of future community-based activities based upon the concept of Chester – The Giant City.

Board of Directors:
David Pickering (Chair) Lord Mayor Brian Bailey Lady Mayoress Raewyn Bailey
Peter Bulmer Jason Butler Stefan Nicholls
Dave Roberts Robbie Stocker Kristine Szulik
Stephen Wundke James Harries (Company Secretary)

Contact: Kristine Szulik t: 01244 318703
m: 07789 425 468 e: kristine.szulik@btinternet.com

Press Contacts: Jane Harrad-Roberts Mob: 07785 395705
James Brady Mob: 07872 051309
MARKETING PROJECTS Tel: 01244 330000
Email: info@marketingprojects.co.uk

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