Chester Lions Club lit up a clear city sky on Saturday with its annual fireworks display.
More than 12,000 spectators descended on Chester Racecourse on November 8 to watch while others took prime positions on the city walls and beyond to catch a glimpse of the action.
Live music from Last Chance Band, face painting and a funfair helped create a carnival atmosphere on the night with plenty of family entertainment.
Chester-based MBNA stepped in to provide a donation that covered the cost of this year’s event, meaning that all the money raised from ticket sales will be donated to a range of local charities and some overseas projects by the event organisers.
Lions president Peter Upton said: “We promised that this year’s fireworks would be bigger than ever and we’re delighted that so many people came out to see the display.
“We’ve been involved in this event for more than 40 years and it never fails to bring the local community together.
“The weather has been kind to us unlike last year when heavy rain really affected the size of the crowd. That low turnout meant that we had serious doubts about whether we could afford to put the display on this year, but we owe a huge debt of gratitude to MBNA for helping us make sure that Chester kept its fireworks display.
“I’d also like to thank our Lord Mayor, councillor Bob Rudd, who set off the toddler fireworks and the main display. I’m sure he had something to do with the good weather this year!”
MBNA also worked with Chester Racecourse to provide private boxes for 11 local charities that it supports, including Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, Claire House Hospice, BIRD, Hope House and Macmillan.
Fundraiser at Claire House Children’s Hospice Andrew Pickering said: “We gave all of our tickets to three of the children we care for so that they and their families could enjoy the fireworks. They had a fantastic time watching the display from the boxes above the racecourse. They really enjoyed the whole evening and said it was a great
experience.”
