Three enormous puppets took over Liverpool
city centre for a three-day spectacular called Giant Spectacular last week, an event that pulled in over 300,000
people a day from around the country and truly showcased Liverpool as a fabulous place to
visit.
The festival Memories of August 1914 looked back to the time just before the
world went to war and at Liverpool’s place in the Great War. Stories were read allowed by Grandmother Giant to the crowd whilst Girl Giant and her dog Xolo explored the city and met the crowds. These giants are French-made,wooden electo-kinetic puppets, suspended
from massive cranes and pulled into animation by teams of expert puppeteers,
swinging from cords and ropes as they meander from landmark to
landmark through the city. It was quite literally an incredible sight and I
don’t think I’ve been in a bigger crowd in my life!
The city was on top form; Liverpool Lime
Street Station was ready and waiting for the hundreds and thousands of
travellers with great crowd control systems and brilliant staff. Albert Docks
and Liverpool ONE were abuzz with visitors and the general tone was one of
summer-time bliss and ease. It was a gorgeous day.
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Liverpool has the luxury, unlike my native
Manchester, of space. Lots of open spaces for massive public gatherings like
this. Manchester’s so built-up and land is at such a premium that there is
literally no room for this kind of event. So it was great to be part of! It was also great to wander around the
usually quite Albert Docks and neighboring areas with it was filled
with people, likewise for the St. John’s Gardens, certainly one of the
prettiest city centre green spaces.
All in all, bravo Liverpool, you certainly
know how to draw (and cope with) a crowd.
END.
