Chester Food & Drink Festival 2013

The Easter Chester Food & Drink Festival is once more under way. The photo below was taken on Good Friday, when everything was ready and waiting for the (ravening? salivating?) hordes that flock to it. Notice all the caravans in the background, poised for their occupants to nip in early.

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Canal Swing Bridge

At the entrance to the rediscovered basin is a nice new swing bridge, put there to allow narrowboats to get in and out. It is a very tight turn into this basin, and the entrance seems very narrow to me, and I'm really not sure that all the boats on the canal could get in, longer ones might well struggle.

I have only ever seen it used once, shortly after the re-opening, and never again. The bridge replaces the four planks of wood that we used to walk across, and we have also lost the hordes of frogs that used to spawn here.

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Cathedral Brass Memorials

Dotted all around the Cathedral are brass memorials, which are cleaned and polished to a high shine. When the sun is shining through the stained glass windows they look very beautiful. My congratulations to whoever looks after them.

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Holt Roman Pottery

Just outside Chester, at Holt, there was a Roman pottery, supplying earthenware to the fortress. The pots below were unearthed locally, and are on display in the Grosvenor Museum. The potters at Holt specialised in a number of different styles and shapes of pottery, some of which show a remarkable degree of technological sophistication. I especially love the whole pot shown below - you can almost see the fingers of the potter shaping the neck of the vessel.

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Rediscovered Canal Basin

When I first moved to Chester back in 1982, down on the canal basin near Telford's Warehouse there were a few wooden planks across a small inlet (or outlet) off the canal. The inlet (or outlet) went nowhere. Later investigations by, I think, Chester Civic Trust, showed that there had originally been extra mooring off the canal basin, and that part of the original quay wall was still there. This has now been opened up and restored, and you can see part of the result below. The section of original wall is furthest away in the photo.

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Cross Keys II

Another music session took place in the Cross Keys last night. with a group of local musicians hosting a group visiting from all over the country. Eleven of them arrived on a narrowboat, instruments were ferried to the pub, and a good time was had by all, with addresses being exchanged and return trips being planned. Thanks to the Cross Keys for being such willing hosts, and to the pub regulars for being interested listeners.

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Roman Military Diploma

In the Grosvenor Museum is a copy of a Roman Military Diploma. The original was found in Malpas, just outside Chester, and is now in the British Museum. Only 13 such diplomas have been discovered in Britain, and this the most complete.

Military diplomas are certificates of discharge inscribed on bronze tablets. They were issued to all auxiliary soldiers when they had served 25 years. The diplomas granted citizenship to soldiers and their children, and made marriages legal (in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD Roman soldiers were forbidden to marry).

This diploma was issued by the Roman emperor Trajan (AD 98-117) to Reburrus, a Spanish junior officer in the 1st Pannonian cavalry regiment. The original declaration would have been displayed in the Forum in Rome and a version copied onto bronze tablets as a portable proof of Roman citizenship.

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Charging Rhinos

The Mill Hotel has found a novel use for the life-size rhinos that were dotted around Chester a little while ago - it has turned them into charging points for electric vehicles, lending a whole new meaning to the phrase 'charging rhinos'.

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Spring!

Spring is nearly here, and the crocuses are in full bloom. Nights are drawing out and days are longer. Birds are twittering excitedly outside my window, sometimes much too early and much too loudly. We long for sunshine after the miserable summer last year.

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Canal Turning Basin

At the foot of Bonewaldesthornes' Tower, and at the bottom of a set of staircase locks, overlooked by Telford's Warehouse, is a turning basin. This is either where narrowboats that have reached the end of their journey can turn round and begin their return, or, more likely in this case, to allow the boats to negotiate a sharp turn.

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Incredible Edibles

Incredible Edibles is a movement to grow food on land which would otherwise be unused. There was a planting in Alexandra Park, Hoole, yesterday, of mixed fruit bushes, which the general public will be encouraged to pick from. The bushes look a bit small at the moment, but we live in hope.

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Allotments

Chester has several allotment sites, or colonies as they are known, that are provided by the council. Currently with long waiting lists (although, looking at individual plots there are many that look unoccupied), Hoole is the largest group, with over 200 plotholders. This colony is even large enough to have its' own shop and composting toilet.

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L'eau-T Cuisine

L'eau-T Cuisine belongs to the Mill Hotel, and you can sign up for lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner cruises in her. The cruise travels in both directions up and down the canal, and you can find more information here: http://www.visitchester.com/things-to-do/mill-hotel-cruises-p103761

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Roman Lead Lamp Holder

The lamps used by the Romans were made from pottery and burned vegetable oil. This made a sticky mess, and could be very dangerous if it caught fire. The Romans used lampholders so that they could carry lamps at a safe distance from their bodies or clothes, and also so that lamps could be safely left on shelves, or fastened to walls or door frames to give fixed lighting without leaving messy drips on floors. The one shown below is currently on display at the Grosvenor Museum.

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Henry VIII See of Chester

When Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries, the monastery of St Werburgh suffered less than most, owing to Henry's decision in 1541 to subdivide the huge diocese of Lichfield, which stretched from south of Coventry to the Scottish borders, and to create a new diocese of Chester. This new diocese needed a cathedral for its bishop, and rather than build a new one it was decided to use the  old monastery church, which had been surrendered by its' last abbot, John Clarke, on the 20th January 1540. On the 26th July 1541, by order of King Henry VIII, the monastery church was reconstituted as 'the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary in Chester'. The window shown below commemorates this event, and can be seen in the Cathedral.

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The Cross Keys

The Cross Keys is a pub on Lower Bridge Street newly-refurbished by Joules Brewery. They have done a good job, and the landlady and staff are very friendly and helpful. They also have an upstairs room available for hire, or you can just retire up there if you want to have a music session, or want to watch the football in peace. They have a website here: http://www.joulesbrewery.co.uk/pubs/pub_details.php?id=10

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International Bagpipe Day

As well as Bagpipolorum, there were several other events going on for International Bagpipe Day. I went along to the afternoon session in the Cross Keys, a pub on Lower Bridge Street (of which more later), and there were plenty of musicians, including four sets of bagpipes and a hurdy-gurdy.

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Rogues' Galleries

In Chester city centre from the 14th to the 24th March, there are a series of events titled Rogues Galleries, where pop-up galleries and artists studios are being created in empty shops. More information here: http://www.roguesgalleries.co.uk/

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Re-using Old Cinemas

Chester was once full of cinemas, sadly none of them remain. However, the buildings are, in many cases, still there. One of them, which ceased recently enough for me to remember going to the pictures there in 1984, has just been refurbished, the front section as yet another Caffe Nero (better that than a Starbucks, I suppose), the back half as an extension to Primark.

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Taylor's Boatyard

Taylor's Boatyard, down on the Canal Basin, once built and maintained the Shropshire Union Company's carrying fleet. Trees arrived by boat at one end and boats were launched sideways from the slipways at the other end. To the rear of the yard you can see buildings that housed the sawmill, paintshop, blacksmiths's and carpenter's workshops. Narrowboats and other craft are still repaired here, and the ownership of the dry dock has recently passed back to the boatyard. A descendant of the eponymous Taylor still lives locally, and is happy to give talks about the history. You can find out more here: http://www.taylorsboatyard.co.uk/

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Chester International Film Festival

There is a film mini-festival on later this week, from the 7th to the 12th March, with some very interesting films. Best of all, it is being held in St Mary's Centre, which is rarely open to the public, so a chance to have a sneaky look around whilst you are there. More information here: http://www.festival.chesterfilmfans.co.uk/

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Roman Lead Cremation Urn

This cremation urn, now on display in the newly-refurbished Newstead Gallery at the Grosvenor Museum, is made from lead. It was found in Handbridge in 1862, and still contains cremated remains.

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Library Book Sale

The city centre library are having a sale of unwanted books, DVDs, and books on cassette (anyone still use those?). There are plenty of foreign language DVDs that are difficult to get hold of elsewhere. So hurry along there before they all go!

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Quilting Exhibition

There has been a quilting exhibition in the Chapter House of the Cathedral for the last few days, and many and varied were the quilts on show. I had no idea there were so many different styles possible.

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Goat Meat

Chestnut Meats are over in Nantwich, and sell mainly through the internet and farmer's markets, although I have been to the farm and met the goats. I talked to them at Nantwich farmer's market, and bought an 8kg pack of goat meat, most of which you can see below. It was delivered to Chester, and I went and picked it up from near the station. An excellent service. You can find out more here: http://chestnutmeats.co.uk/

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