CELEBRITIES like a bit of pampering and Chester’s own TV stars are no exception.

Singers from the jazz/blues women’s choir A Handbag of Harmonies have been enjoying an array of complimentary beauty treatments in preparation for their big television appearance on Saturday night.

The choir is down to the final 15 of BBC1’s latest talent show Last Choir Standing and will battle it out with four other choirs for a place in the live shows.

Glow Beauty Salon in Lower Bridge Street opened its doors on Sunday to treat all 50 “Handbags”, as the choir is affectionately known.

Proprietor Sara Shoemark said: “My children have been glued to the programme and are besotted with the Handbags.

“The choir has done so much for the city and it’s nice to do something for them as part of the local community.”

As usual after a visit by the Handbags, Sara’s salon was left strewn with pink feathers from their trademark boas and her children Samuel, eight, Harrison, seven, and Evie, five, collected them up to keep in their treasure boxes.

Another local businesswoman has shown her creative support for the choir.

Jayne Carle, of Billie and Gruff in Watergate Street, has created a 10 feet long banner for Handbag supporters to show on the BBC.

She said: “I would love to be a Handbag so I wanted to create something really special for their TV appearance. I worked on it in the shop and people kept coming in and asking if they could put a stitch in to show their support. Everyone in the city is really behind them.”

Closer to home for the choir, which started in Queen’s Park eight years ago, the greengrocers shop in Handbridge is also showing its support. Kevin Brackenbury of Edens in Handbridge has a large blackboard outside his shop supporting the choir.

Musical director of the choir Matt Baker, of Chester’s Garden Quarter, has also been touched by the level of local support.

The parish noticeboard of his local church, where he plays the organ, St Thomas and St Oswald’s on the corner of Cheyney Road and Parkgate Road, has listed A Handbag of Harmonies and Matt Baker for special prayers on Saturday August 2.

Last Choir Standing is on BBC1 on Saturday night at 6.25pm.