Tourism posters hide empty shops

Two Gloucester rugby players will pose as Romans in the first poster.

Posters showcasing Gloucester's history are being used to fill the windows of the city's empty shops.

The aim is to cover up the vacant properties while promoting local tourist attractions.

The displays will chart the city's origins from its days as a Roman fort, up to the development of the jet engine by Sir Frank Whittle in the 1930s.

Gloucester rugby players Ian Balshaw and Antony Allen will appear dressed as Romans in the first poster.

The second photo-shoot for the posters will take place at Blackfriars Priory on Wednesday, with professional models acting out the parts of Dominican monks and nuns.

The third, on 23 March, will depict the Coronation of Henry III in Gloucester Cathedral.

Graham Walker, chief executive of Marketing Gloucester Ltd, said: "Unfortunately, empty shops are a feature of most city centres nowadays.

"We just want to take a more positive approach.

"The whole point of the exercise is to make the city centre more welcoming for visitors and also to promote a greater sense of residents' pride in their historical and cultural heritage."

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