LIFE-size sculptures of some of the most significant characters in the history of Bunbury’s St Boniface Church took centre stage at the Church’s first flower festival for 32 years, thanks to a project involving a student and staff from the University of Chester.

The installation, which took student Natalie Papworth and staff from the university’s Fine Art department four weeks to make, drew praise from the hundreds of people attending the St Boniface Flower Festival.

The festival, which was being held for the first time since 1976, raised around £4,000 for charitable causes.

Festival organiser Margaret Bourne approached the university to carry out the project after seeing how a church in Boston, USA, celebrated its important historical figures.

Margaret said: “The people who have been involved in our church over the centuries have been very colourful characters, and we really wanted to celebrate their contribution.

The figures depicted were: St Boniface himself, the church’s patron saint; a friend of Sir Hugh Calveley, who is traditionally credited with being the founder and a generous benefactor to the church; the wife of Sir George Beeston, who is buried at the church and was commander of one of the ships which fought against the Spanish Armada; and Queen Elizabeth I, who made a donation of timber to the church from Delamere Forest.