Member Article

Third giant joins Liverpool’s ‘Memories’ event

A third giant puppet will be taking part in the ‘Memories of August 1914’ event in Liverpool this July, it has been revealed – adding a new element to a spectacular already set to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city.

Joining the Little Girl Giant and her dog Xolo will be her Grandmother, also known as the Grandmother of Liverpool.

This is a brand new giant never before seen anywhere outside of France. She will premiere at an event in her hometown of Nantes in June, and then her second appearance will be in Liverpool the following month.

The statuesque family member stands at nearly 25 feet (7.4 metres) tall, 7 feet taller than her granddaughter.

The 85 year old Grandmother will arrive in the city on Wednesday 23 July. In order to come to the city, she needs to travel through time from the past.

As a result of this impressive journey, it will take a couple of days before she is ready to explore the city. In the meantime, she will rest in the beautiful surroundings of St George’s Hall, and members of the public have the chance to see her up close in the Great Hall where she will be sleeping.

There will be set public viewing times for this unique opportunity across the two days:

Wednesday 23 July - 10am to 1am and Thursday 24 July - 7am to 7pm.

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: “To be the first city outside of France to showcase a brand new giant is a massive coup and huge honour.

“The Grandmother brings a whole different dimension to the event and her involvement will really bring home the message of commemorating World War One – all will become clear when we reveal the story next month!

“We know that she will be a real character that will bring out a mixture of emotions in the hundreds and thousands of visitors descending on the city, all of which are sure to take her into their hearts.

“It’s extra special to have the St George’s Hall element – it really is the perfect opportunity for people to see one of our visitors up close, and take in how beautifully intricate the work of Royal de Luxe is.

“Knowing there is a third giant will ramp the excitement up a notch, and certainly cements our position as the biggest outdoor cultural event taking place in the UK this year.”

Founder and Artistic Director of Royal De Luxe, Jean Luc Courcoult, said: “We are delighted to welcome the latest addition to our giant family.

“The Grandmother has been in the planning for several years, but has only come to life in recent weeks, and we are delighted with the finished results.

“She is a feisty and loveable character with some surprises up her sleeve which is sure to be a hit with the Liverpool crowd.

“I think French and Liverpudlian grandparents have a huge amount in common – they like to talk about the past and re-tell family stories to keep them alive for future generations to pass on. Add to this sentimentality a cheeky sense of humour and you’ve got the makings of a great story to be told.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .