Chester

The second Chester Marathon. Run from Chester Race Course into the city, across the Dee at the old Dee Bridge, through Huntingdon and out into the Welsh countryside. Back into England over the Dee at Holt/Farndon then back into Chester and the finish at the race course, via Sandy Lane and The Groves.

The 10th annual Chester Kite festival held on Chester Race Course over the weekend of 17-18 September 2011.

Throuighout the summer chester Zoo has played host to a number of animatronic Dinosaurs. Scattered around the Islands in Danger area.

Painted over the last two months on the end of 73 Brook Street by mural artist Gary Drostle. The painting celebrates the community of Brook Street past and present.

THe 36th annual Raft Race on the River Dee organised by the Rotary Club with the theme of "The Good, The Bad and the Downright Ugly". In aid of "The Hospce of the Good Shepherd".

As part of the years Chestival season. A shortened version of one of the Chester Mystery Plays was performed for the second year in the Amphitheatre. This time it was the Creation cycle. A sequence using a backdrop of a large video screen with dance, music and song.

Having divest itself of the Giants parade, which this year have there own parade the weekend before. And without the colour of the Town Criers Tournemant this years parade was back to tradition. Complete with Elephant and Castle; Camel; "The Merchants Mount" Pirate Ship; Dragon; St Werburgh and her Geese; Fish;  Ravens; Unicorns; The Tree of life; The Devils Band and Chester's own Giants. A mix of traditions reaching back into antiquity performed by schools and volunteers from around Cheshire.

Promoting Chester as "The Giant City". A host of giants from around the world congregated on Chester for a carnival procession through the city centre. Unfortunately a rainy day put a bit of a damper on events. Nevertheless an interesting sight as the figures trundled through the streets accompanied by drummers and other groups.

Chester's Roman Weekend again graced the Grosvenor park, Amphitheatre and city centre streets over the wekend of the 4th and 5th of June. This years event was considerably bigger than previous years with a stronger living history presence within the grounds of the park. Over 160 took part in the march through the city to the Town Hall Square, on both days, where speachs wre made before the return journey.

A Carnival staged in Brook Street, Chester to promote the street and it's variety of shops and restaurants. There were two stages featuring music and a performance area in the street. Hopefully the event will be repeated in future years with more publicity. as this street, often neglected, is a fascinating mix of small retail businesses.

An open top bus taook the players and management of Chester FC through city centre streets on Saturday in celebration of the teams phoenix like rise from the ashes of the old and battered Chester City FC. Finishing as Evo-Stik First Division North Champions 2010-11 in their first year.

Fans gathered in Chester's Town hall Square to welcome the team to a civic reception, with members of the city council.

Canal boats on their way to the national Waterways Museum's Easter Boat Gathering. Made there way through the Northgate locks and moored in Tower Wharf prior to moving on to Ellesmere Port for the Easter meeting.

A large number of adults as well as children massed on the banks of the Dee at the Groves in Chester to see a flotilla of small rubber ducks make their way in a sedate race along the river. Released by the Lord Mayor of Chester from the suspension bridge they drifted down river to the finish line, a boom stretched across the Dee from the Groves, half way between the bridge and the weir.

Photographs of three Rhinos from Chester's 2010 Rhinomania event now to be found in the car park of the Mill Hotel and Spa, Milton Street, Chester.

Some images of this years January Sales in Chester.