Person behind that famous Chester Twitter account is moving his unique city tribute to new market

As excitement mounts over the opening of Chester’s new market, one well known yet anonymous city resident has been busy preparing to move his own unique tribute to the city to the new venue.

The popular social media account and blogger known as @ShitChester, who goes by the pseudonym of Tony Chester, not only charts the comings and goings of the city he loves but also finds time to steadily recreate the city’s unique and historic buildings and its residents in tiny plastic bricks.

And the result is Chester in Lego – a quirky and eye catching Chester in miniature for all to see and enjoy. It’s become a tourist attraction as well as being enjoyed by residents, with its own spot on Trip Advisor.

It’s also raised money for a number of different good causes over the years.

Charities which have benefited from around £3,000 in donations include The Samaritans and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

Chester in Lego was at the heart of the old Chester Market for eight years and has now been given pride of place in the garden area of the brand new market hall, part of the £72million Northgate development.

The new display is being created in specially built cabinets opposite the Market Cafe and Crustum stall, with seating alongside, so those enjoying a sit down can take a closer look at Chester in miniature.

Tony spoke of his pride at being able to move the Chester in Lego display to its new home and reflected on how grateful he was for all the support he had received in bringing it to life for so many to enjoy.

He said: “I’m very excited to be bringing the Chester in Lego display to the new market.

“We launched the display back in 2014 and would never have dreamt that we would end up having a space in the new development with the Northgate development looking like a distant dream.

“I want to thank everyone who has helped me with the display over the years, particularly the staff of Jim’s Haberdashery.

“Staff at Jim’s had the idea of putting the Lego into the market on an empty stall  and thanks to the support of the market management and traders it grew to be three times its original size.”

Explaining what led him to create Lego Chester, he said: “I was a big Lego fan and was looking for something fun to build.

“The first bits I did were the iconic black and white sections of the Rows. People liked them and the idea grew and grew.

“It’s been a fun journey over the last eight years and I feel proud to be part of the new market and am really grateful for the support of the council and the team behind the new development.

“It’s been great working with various charities over the years and I’ve teamed up with the Share Shop to sell a small number of our older models.

“So far this has raised £200 for Share’s support of the homeless and refugees.”

Chester in Lego will be available for visitors to Chester’s new market to see when it officially opens on Tuesday, November 8. This weekend there is a sneak preview for ticket holders only, with all of the tickets quickly snapped up.

For more information on Chester in Lego and regular updates on life in the city, visit thechesterblog.com.