ORGANISERS hailed the second Chester Romance Festival, which concluded last weekend, a great success.

Chester Cathedral held a special 'Love and Rededication' ceremony performed by Canon John Roff on Sunday, the eve of Valentine's Day.

The special service featured hymns and anthems centred around the theme of love and dedication. Each couple was invited to repeat their wedding vows in a very personal way, facing each other and echoing the wedding service itself.

The service also featured Cathedral singers and the very first reading of the Chester Festival of Romance Poem for 2005, won in a competition by young Chester bard Caroline Rance.

Festival organiser Jane Harrod Roberts said: 'The service was lovely and really personal. I especially liked the readings and the choir. The Cathedral even rang the bells before the service.'

Earlier that day, visitors and residents braved the biting, cold weather and snow and took part in a sponsored walk around the city walls in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

On Saturday, brave-hearted Cestrians endured gale-force winds and took part in the leap of love from Chester's Town Hall.

More than a hundred daredevils leapt off the parachute simulator as part of the celebrations, watched by shoppers below.

A steady stream of people as young as four and couples in their 60s jumped, supervised by members of the Army Parachute Regiment Recruitment Team who erected the 65ft platform.

Shoppers were in store for a treat by Somerfield supermarket in the Forum Shopping Centre, which helped singles eager to find 'love in the aisles'.

The supermarket singles event helped romantically-inclined shoppers to find a bit of love as well as weekly provisions with encouragement from festival organisers.

Customers walked around the aisles with pink or blue balloons above their trolleys to let people know they were single.

Colin Potts, tourism manager at Chester City Council, reflected on the success of the festival, saying: 'A lot of people had a great deal of fun and raised a lot of money for the British Heart Foundation.

'The shop window displays were very good this year and I liked the actors out on the street - one minute they were Romeo and Juliet the next they were Bonnie and Clyde.

He added: 'This Festival has raised the profile of Chester, demonstrating what a great place it is to simply enjoy being in, as opposed to just looking at the buildings.

'The coverage we have had in the national media gives the impression the city is a fun place to be in. Let's hope the festival keeps going for many more years.'