Historic buildings across the city of Chester have been given their own voices thanks to a “world first” arts project.
Celebrities including BBC Breakfast news presenter Louise Minchin, former MP and TV presenter Gyles Brandreth and ITV Granada star Lucy Meacock have lent their voices to the ‘Talking Walls of Chester’ project, which brings the city’s buildings to life when smartphone users scan a code to receive a phone call from a wall.
Stories that can be heard include a wine bar built in the very place that was once the gateway to Deva Victrix, Chester’s former Roman fortress; a family-run Italian restaurant with an ancient recipe on its walls from one of the oldest cookery books in Britain; an independent coffee shop which housed one of the few families to survive the 1647 outbreak of bubonic plague in Chester and a furniture store with an 18th century love note etched into its windows.
The walls in Chester can be heard from Thursday June 22 for a period of one year as part of the Talking Walls of Chester project. Free trail maps are available from the Visitor Information Centre at Chester Town Hall or can be downloaded from the Talking Walls of Chester website. There is no charge for calling a wall but standard network connection charges do apply.
