IN PICTURES: Chichester shoppers join the Crane Street celebrations

Opening ceremony of Crane Street, after the Chichester Bid. Andrew Finnamore (Chairman of the Chichester BID). Pic Steve Robards

Residents and visitors took part in celebrations to mark the official opening of the new look Crane Street.

Live music, a juggling jester and fancy dress were all featured in the opening party on Friday, April 1, as well as a ribbon cutting to show the completion of the Crane Street project.

Chichester Business Improvement District (Chi BID) and The Novium Museum hosted the event, and the project, which includes two new eye-catching crane sculptures, was undertaken to raise the profile of the Chichester street.

Jeanette Hockley, events and marketing manager at the BID, said: “It was a fabulous event, it created a great footfall down the street.

Andrew Finnamore (Chairman of the Chichester BID). Pic Steve Robards

“The entertainment attracted a lot of people – we had buskers and a jester who was juggling on a unicycle and on stilts.

“The Novium Museum also had a table set up where the public could come along and try on fancy dress costumes that had been brought which gained a lot of interest.”

She added: “The businesses on the street took part in a raffle where they offered prizes for free to the public – in total we gave away 35 prizes.

“The public who visited the shops that day were given a raffle ticket and then they won anything from a cake to vouchers for some of the businesses on the street.