Ice sculptures return to Chester city centre for Fairy Day this weekend

Dec 2 2009 by Jo Henwood, Chester Chronicle

THERE was a chill in the Chester air on Saturday morning when sculptor Matt Challinor got to work on creating Santa Claus from a block of ice.

Passers-by in the city centre were invited to guess when the ice would melt to reveal a prize ring.

Sixty-three hours of thawing later and Chris Baines, of Runcorn, emerged asthe lucky winner of a prize from Rigby Jewellers in Frodsham Street.

Don’t worry if you missed the spectacle at rhe weekend - you can catch the ice artists at work again tomorrow (Friday, December 4) on the High Street at Frodsham Christmas Festival and again in Eastgate Street in Chester on Saturday and in Bridge Street on Sunday .

To celebrate what has been declared Fairy Day in the city, embedded in this block of ice will be a wand which, when thawed, will release a family Favourite Days Out in Cheshire passport worth up to £500.

Attractions include Chester Zoo, Ness Botanical Gardens, Beeston Castle, National Waterways Museum, Go Ape and Jodrell Bank.

Details about Christmas events and competitions around the Cheshire West and Chester area are available online at www.visitchester.com/christmas.