New Brighton is going up against Birkenhead, Bootle, Prescot, and Widnes amongst other towns
New Brighton is going up against Birkenhead, Bootle, Prescot, and Widnes amongst other towns
People in a Wirral seaside resort believe they would “put on a good show” if they are lucky enough to win £3m of Government money. The New Brighton Partnership hopes their bid to be the UK town of culture will lead to “one year of celebration” and take things “to the next level”.
The first ever UK Town of Culture competition, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will see a winning town receive £3m while two other finalists could get £250,000 to support cultural events across the year.
Towns across the country have applied, including Birkenhead, Bootle, Prescot and Widnes. In New Brighton, there is a feeling they have a good shot at putting the resort on the map.
Hundreds of people have already taken part in a survey to support the bid painting “a vivid picture of a town built around family memories, iconic seaside attractions, and a growing creative scene”. People have suggested street festivals and events similar to Liverpool’s River of Light to “make New Brighton a must-visit destination again”.
The seaside resort, which many see as up and coming, has the Floral Pavilion theatre which is now bringing in West End shows, an art gallery, jazz nights, touring bands, and countless murals. It is also becoming a popular filming location with Batman spin-off Clayface and the Bill Nighy film “A Town in Nova Scotia” currently filming.
For local couple Gill and Chris Conroy, the bid is a really positive thing for the seaside resort. Like many, Chris remembers when Liverpool was Capital of Culture in 2008 and the difference that made to the city.
Gill thinks the resort stands a good chance too, telling the ECHO: “There’s a lot of history to New Brighton with the smuggling and all the buildings. The history is quite interesting.” Pointing to the Bill Nighy film, she added: “Well if the film company thinks it’s good enough and that is cultural.”
One thing they’re keen to see as part of the bid is a music festival on the nearby Dips, a large open green space, in the summer as well as events for all ages in Vale Park. Chris added: “Whoever gets it has got to put on a good show.”
Last year, New Brighton was labelled one of the best and the worst seaside resorts in the UK within the same week by The Sunday Times and Which?. Martyn Green from the New Brighton Partnership believes this is “proof in the pudding” that the resort is at a crossroads and the bid would build on the grassroots progress in the town.
He added: “New Brighton has the opportunity to take this money and build on what is already going on at Marine Point and on Victoria Road. There is a huge amount of culture in New Brighton and we can build on it. That is why we think the time is right for us.
“New Brighton is in the position that it can take all the good that has been done primarily by the local community and take that to the next stage.”
Pointing to the town’s former pier and tower, he said: “It was built on music with the Beatles at the Tower Ballroom. We have rebuilt the Floral and we have got untold live music playing in venues throughout the weekend.
“I think for us, New Brighton has a place in so many people’s hearts in the north of the UK already. The older generations holidayed in New Brighton. It already holds this very romantic place in people’s hearts in terms of family memories that have.
“I would like to think it makes us competitive as we have already put a lot of hard work in but we are nowhere near where we want to be. There’s a lot of passion to make New Brighton a special place.”
A link to the survey to support the bid for New Brighton can be found on the Love New Brighton website.
