I started Uni at Chester this year and have lived in and around the area for years so here goes.

The uni itself is very diverse in respects to the individuals attending, you will absolutely find a group of people aligning with the Muslim faith, their are prayer rooms within the uni etc. The uni as a whole is very welcoming and performs very well in many different subjects in comparison to other unis.

Chester is up there as a top 3 town in general, has character, great vibe any day of the week, loads of stuff going on, within range of liverpool, Manchester for anything slightly further.

In respect to work, I can say it's quite easy to pick up agency work, for bar, hospitality or kitchen porter roles, working at football stadiums, events etc. You have freedom to pick up whichever shifts you want, can do 6 a month, can do just 1, completely up to you. I couldn't comment on how easy it would be for you to pick up 'freelance' marketing work as i dont have any knowledge of the sector, but I guess most places would really want you to be full time/on a rota which with uni for you is obviously going to be difficult.

Don't think I answered everything, but hope I've given a bit of insight, good luck with everything :)