Lantern Magic lights up Chester Zoo.
By Emma-louise
Rawlinson and Claire Henderson
Tuesday 27 November 2012
CHESTER Zoo, home to over 8000 animals and 400 different
species is host to an astonishing Christmas event named ‘Lantern Magic’.
Families can walk around the zoo in the dark hours carrying their handmade
lanterns amongst a trail of wondrous lights and life sized animal lanterns.
The Lantern Magic walk trail is 0.75 miles each way with the
experience lasting up to an hour. A lantern workshop for the children provides
them with their own mini-lantern to guide their way, as well as large lanterns
for the rest of the family.
Staff are spread out around the zoo to guide you in the
right direction, as some of the areas of the zoo won’t be open. For safety
reasons they ask the public to keep to the trail. The Fruit Bat Forest is open
until 19:30pm.
Families can collect their glow in the dark star from Mother
Christmas and place it on the Cedar Wish Tree before meeting Father Christmas.
A professional photographer is there to take your photograph which can be
purchased at a kiosk.
Samantha Ricketts, 20, Guest Services Assistant from Upton,
said:
“Being Mother Christmas, I interact with the kids; telling
jokes and listening to their wishes which I send to my husband, Father
Christmas. I hand out the glowing stars, hold them in my hands as they make
their wish and then they hang them on the tree.”
The Lantern Company has been commissioned to create the life
sized animal lanterns and illuminated costumes, which are worn by staff
members.
Holly Jenkins, 22, Guest Services Assistant from Ellesmere
Port, said:
“It’s been a good event so far and brought in a lot of
families and the event has been sold out for the first two days. With it being
the preview weekend, a few things have gone wrong, such as realising we needed
shelters for the staff and public with the weather being so terrible.”
The Lantern Company’s work ranges from small to large-scale
theatrical experiences, to big outdoor shows, community artwork shops and
training. They produce giant puppets and kinetic professional floats as well as
sculptural lanterns for day and night time events.
“The costumes are great, but they take so long to get on,
sometimes up to half an hour,” said Miss Jenkins.
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