Last weekend marked the 24th birthday of my older brother Ted. To celebrate the occasion he requested that any, and all, of his available family members and friends join him at Chester's open air cinema for a picnic, white russians and a moonlit screening of The Big Lebowski.
We were more than happy to oblige.
Now, I am aware that most major cities offer this kind of outdoor viewing experience but for something like this to take place in Chester is pretty big news and I couldn't wait to experience it.
Set up in the Roman Gardens, amongst the relics, was the outdoor screen with a long stretch of lawn for us to all park ourselves on. Ted, and his friends pitched themselves right at the front, directly under the screen whilst we (the family) pitched ourselves further back in our camping chairs.
With plenty of homemade sandwiches, nibbles, and some of the best truffles I have ever tasted, the majority of us did not feel the need for further indulgence however, when we discovered that you could order Pizza Express, for just £5 per pizza, and it would be delivered to you fresh and hot from the restaurant over the road it seemed rude not to...
As it began to get dark enough for the picture to be visible it was time to pop on our headsets which were tuned to a specific frequency in order to stream the sound of the movie.
This was great as it meant that the film wasn't an interruption to the surrounding shops and restaurants and, at the same time, meant that the viewers could drown out all that surrounding noise to just focus on the movie.
Such a good idea and made for very enjoyable viewing although, it was creepy and eery when you took the headphones off at any point and realised that you were just a bunch of people in a garden staring silently at a screen.
^^^So happy with his white russian in hand^^^
^^^These two had never seen the film before and weren't quite sure what to expect.^^^
I think they enjoyed it...?
As the daylight dwindled we all settled in with blankets wrapped tightly to keep the breeze out until, around about 11 o'clock, the film ended and we all staggered home very sleepily and eager for our beds.
Happy Birthday Tedward, I am so lucky to have you in my life as both a brother and a best friend.
I can't wait to see what the next 24 years brings you.
By Evangeline Oliver.
The open-air cinema is run by Chester Performs who are also responsible for the open-air theatre in Grosvenor Park. To find out more details and to see what's on click on the links below:
Moonlight Flicks in the Roman Gardens
Open Air Theatre in Grosvenor Park
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