Leicester in bid to be 2017 UK City of Culture

[Finnegan]

Ahh the 'UK City of Culture', aka 'The English City that is least like an English City'

It's the city of culture, not the city of multi-culture you fricking idiot.

It's not purely just about having an ethnic minority.

Culture means arts, history, etc. You know, massive amount of money spent on huge renovated "Cultural Quarter?" The finding of Richard III?

[Guest Bilo]

Ahh the 'UK City of Culture', aka 'The English City that is least like an English City'

You don't help yourself do you?

In Leicester, there has been a huge investment into the arts and culture via the Cultural Quarter Finnegan mentioned earlier, the Curve which has won critical acclaim, the discovery of Richard III, the Golden Mile, the rapidly growing Comedy Festival and two universities with thriving arts faculties.

[digitalalba]

Ahh the 'UK City of Culture', aka 'The English City that is least like an English City'

It has to be an English city for that to be the case

It's the city of culture, not the city of multi-culture you fricking idiot.

It's not purely just about having an ethnic minority.

Culture means arts, history, etc. You know, massive amount of money spent on huge renovated "Cultural Quarter?" The finding of Richard III?

Does the city of Leicester culture, include English culture, because in the 'diary' list, theres no mention of the vast amounts of it that swamps the list put forward. So to suggest that Leicester should be put forward based primarily on culture that is alien to English culture, gives credence to what acooling08 said.

The 'Cultural Quarter' is on the very edge of the city where the majority of the English don't live.

Not sure who funds Dave's comedy club, but arent the rest of the 'diary' list tax funded. Now that the English and/or white people are a minority in their own city, how about the following tax funded celebrations,

A tax funded St George's day and/or St Edmunds day festival on a park or road stretching a mile, that includes a firework display, face painting, a celebration of English and Leicester history, English food and drinks with English folk music.

A tax funded Heterosexual pride - https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHeteroPride

A tax funded sports day to celebrate all that sport has given to the city of leicester and how sport has put leicester on the map.

AND/OR

Tax funding for:

Leicester’s Caribbean Carnival has brought the city centre to life every August since 1985, with the exception of 2006.

The celebration attracts thousands of visitors with its colourful city centre parade, street dancing and music.

Leicester’s annual Diwali celebrations are thought to be the largest outside India.

Huge crowds flock to the city’s Golden Mile. The Hindu Festival of Lights began last year with 35,000 watching a lights switch-on spanning a kilometre along Melton Road.

Leicester Pride is popular celebration of the city’s gay, lesbian and bisexual and transgender communities held in late August or early September each year.

Marchers in weird and wonderful costumes parade through the city centre before heading up to Victoria Park for a fairground and concert.

Christ in the Centre is the city’s dramatic recreation of the Easter story, with Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection being played out before thousands of people in Humberstone Gate.

It has become established as one of the biggest and most effective pieces of Christian celebration staged in the country.

There must be tens of thousands of people who pay tax, but of which none of the above is appealing to them. For example, 90% of tax payers aren't gay.

[Finnegan]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

Leicester Pride won't have been instigated by the City to look hip and modern, I assume the event organisers approached the City asking for support.

Likewise, Hindu communities will have been organising their own Diwali celebrations before any City budget gave them assistance.

Why bitch that your culture isn't represented but then sit on your arse looking for someone else to provide for you?

Unfortunately, the only people I've ever seen try and big up any organization of St George's day were patriots and nationalists who want it to be exclusive for a perceived indigenous community.

The English need to learn from the Irish. Alright, so there's a lot of commercialism in St Paddy's day but there's also a huge willingness to invite everyone - Irish or not - to celebrate the occasion.

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

Much better than putting on the three lions and belting out Jerusalem whilst bemoaning "them Muslims."

[FoxyPV]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

Leicester Pride won't have been instigated by the City to look hip and modern, I assume the event organisers approached the City asking for support.

Likewise, Hindu communities will have been organising their own Diwali celebrations before any City budget gave them assistance.

Why bitch that your culture isn't represented but then sit on your arse looking for someone else to provide for you?

Unfortunately, the only people I've ever seen try and big up any organization of St George's day were patriots and nationalists who want it to be exclusive for a perceived indigenous community.

The English need to learn from the Irish. Alright, so there's a lot of commercialism in St Paddy's day but there's also a huge willingness to invite everyone - Irish or not - to celebrate the occasion.

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

Much better than putting on the three lions and belting out Jerusalem whilst bemoaning "them Muslims."

It's not a public holiday.

That's where they are going wrong for starters.

[davieG]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

Leicester Pride won't have been instigated by the City to look hip and modern, I assume the event organisers approached the City asking for support.

Likewise, Hindu communities will have been organising their own Diwali celebrations before any City budget gave them assistance.

Why bitch that your culture isn't represented but then sit on your arse looking for someone else to provide for you?

Unfortunately, the only people I've ever seen try and big up any organization of St George's day were patriots and nationalists who want it to be exclusive for a perceived indigenous community.

The English need to learn from the Irish. Alright, so there's a lot of commercialism in St Paddy's day but there's also a huge willingness to invite everyone - Irish or not - to celebrate the occasion.

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

Much better than putting on the three lions and belting out Jerusalem whilst bemoaning "them Muslims."

Not wishing to take sides because I'm very ambivalent about the whole thing but didn't there used to be a Scout/Guides on St Georges day parade that was cancelled or severely curtailed due to funding cuts?

[Finnegan]

It's not a public holiday for starters.

That's where they are going wrong for starters.

Shouldn't stop you using the time of year to make an event of it. Do it the following or precededing weekend. Where there's a will there's a way.

[Finnegan]

Not wishing to take sides because I'm very ambivalent about the whole thing but didn't there used to be a Scout/Guides on St Georges day parade that was cancelled or severely curtailed due to funding cuts?

And how much local interest was there in it? Really? I imagine if it was as big as Pride or Diwali it wouldn't have been ditched.

[FoxyPV]

Shouldn't stop you using the time of year to make an event of it. Do it the following or precededing weekend. Where there's a will there's a way.

It shouldn't, but making it a public holiday really helps people get in the mood for a day's drinking for an abitrarily assigned fictional charactor.

[davieG]

And how much local interest was there in it? Really? I imagine if it was as big as Pride or Diwali it wouldn't have been ditched.

Well I don't know about recently but when my kids went on it the thing was massive with every Scout, Cub, Beaver, Guide and Brownie Group from across Leicestershire involved and marching through the city.

[cpeleicester]

If a craphole like Liverpool can win it we must have half a chance !

[Guest MattP]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

Much better than putting on the three lions and belting out Jerusalem whilst bemoaning "them Muslims."

Fcuk that. Last thing I want is idiots parading around in silly hats drinking Bombardier once a year pretending to be English.

St Georges Day is fine as it is, one of the best piss ups of the year and everyone who is out for it now is up for it, celebrating and have gone to the effort to book it off work etc. It's great. We did Bristol last year, fantastic City Centre on the day.

The only people who moan about 'not being able to celebrate' are the ones who can't even be arsed to have a look what is actually going on and book a day off. Let it stay that way and let the real patriots who celebrate it every now carry on as we are.

[purpleronnie]

Fcuk that. Last thing I want is idiots parading around in silly hats drinking Bombardier once a year pretending to be English.

St Georges Day is fine as it is, one of the best piss ups of the year and everyone who is out for it now is up for it, celebrating and have gone to the effort to book it off work etc. It's great. We did Bristol last year, fantastic City Centre on the day.

The only people who moan about 'not being able to celebrate' are the ones who can't even be arsed to have a look what is actually going on and book a day off. Let it stay that way and let the real patriots who celebrate it every now carry on as we are.

I agree and besides why do we need a flag waving 'aren't we great' celebration, we're english we have more class.

[davieG]

Leicester has 10 rivals for the City of Culture crown. Jane Renton gives us a whistle-stop tour of their cultural offerings.

Plymouth: Historically significant, Plymouth is working up to its Mayflower 400 anniversary in 2020. The port launched English settlers – the Pilgrim Fathers – who established the second colony in the modern USA. Sir Francis Drake loved its Hoe and it has a superbly restored lido.

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Aberdeen: Singers Emeli Sande and Annie Lennox come from this city, famed for its association with warrior King of Scots, Robert the Bruce. Voted the fourth most liveable city in the UK in 2012, it has won the Britain in Bloom competition an unprecedented 10 times.

Chester: Bordering England and Wales and known as a top choice for Merseyside footballers wives. A key Roman city, it is crammed full of pretty medieval timber–framed houses and relics.

Dundee: With the development of the V&A design centre, the Dundee Rep theatre and the popularity of Dundee Contemporary Arts, the city has the impressive Tay Rail Bridge and an historic link with Robert the Bruce.

East Kent: Kent's bid includes Canterbury, Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Thanet. There was once an ancient boundary stone that marked the division of Kent into its east and west zones – the Men of Kent and the Kentish Men. Canterbury Cathedral and the white cliffs of Dover are high points.

Hastings and Bexhill on Sea: Hastings will always be famous for King Harold and 1066 and ancient kings are big news with the recent discovery of Richard III. Neighbour Bexhill was Spike Milligan's garrison town during the Second World War.

Hull: It is the only city in the UK to have distinctive cream telephone boxes and is home to MP John "two-jags" Prescott. After a whaling past and a less well known Second World War blitz, it has lots of ferries and a fabulous aquarium called The Deep.

Portsmouth and Southampton: Following on from the recent centenary of the sinking of the Titanic, both are steeped in naval history. Southampton has a thriving arts scene and a new SeaCity museum, as well as one of the top 100 UK universities.

Southend on Sea: Famous for a pint of prawns on the seafront, Southend is the closest seaside town to London. Not the obvious choice for culture, it is hoped the title could bring the kind of investment enjoyed by Margate with the Turner Contemporary Gallery.

Swansea Bay: The only Welsh contender is the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Anthony Hopkins and Richard Burton. Appropriately, it has a well-respected film festival, and has been featured in Doctor Who and Torchwood by local writer Russell T Davies.

Read more: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/line-contenders-2017-City-Culture-crown/story-18342610-detail/story.html#ixzz2Ms4ZTnsC

Follow us: @thisisleics on Twitter | thisisleicestershire on Facebook

[digitalalba]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

Trust me, our council know theres thousands of people who want to celebrate Englishness, but our council refuse to listen. What they do is hire a few blokes to dress up as a st george and stand around in town, then say, we did such n such...

Why bitch that your culture isn't represented but then sit on your arse looking for someone else to provide for you?

When you assume, you make an a$$ out of u and me

Unfortunately, the only people I've ever seen try and big up any organization of St George's day were patriots and nationalists who want it to be exclusive for a perceived indigenous community.

Isn't that an oxymoron. To consider yourself English surely would mean you have pride in your nationality - patriotism - nationalism.

The English need to learn from the Irish. Alright, so there's a lot of commercialism in St Paddy's day but there's also a huge willingness to invite everyone - Irish or not - to celebrate the occasion.

True, we need to learn to drink more alcohol by inviting all comers, by definition dilutes what the whole this is about.

I have been to some, they do like a sing song, which reminds me of this

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

I'd stick to st paddy's day if i were you

[johnny the fox]

This is great, tourists will flock here to see me taking a shit in the gutter.. Im full of culture.

[kingfox]

Well fookin done Leicester.

We need to knock down the numbers of foreigners, not encourage it.

I can't leave my house now without passing a Polish, Slovakian, Czech.

All they do is drink on benches, and nobody does anything about it.

NOT ON

[Webbo]

Well fookin done Leicester.

We need to knock down the numbers of foreigners, not encourage it.

I can't leave my house now without passing a Polish, Slovakian, Czech.

All they do is drink on benches, and nobody does anything about it.

NOT ON

Wtf are you talking about?

[Finnegan]

More Poles and Slovaks, less braindead little ***** please.

[Voll Blau]

Why do people always bring stuff like this forward as if to complain they aren't being represented? If you want a St George's Day parade why not try organizing one in your community and petition for support?

Leicester Pride won't have been instigated by the City to look hip and modern, I assume the event organisers approached the City asking for support.

Likewise, Hindu communities will have been organising their own Diwali celebrations before any City budget gave them assistance.

Why bitch that your culture isn't represented but then sit on your arse looking for someone else to provide for you?

Unfortunately, the only people I've ever seen try and big up any organization of St George's day were patriots and nationalists who want it to be exclusive for a perceived indigenous community.

The English need to learn from the Irish. Alright, so there's a lot of commercialism in St Paddy's day but there's also a huge willingness to invite everyone - Irish or not - to celebrate the occasion.

I have no interest in a celebration of Being English but even I'd get involved and celebrate St George's day if it was an honest rejoicing in living in England and the things that make us lucky to be here. Free press, safe communities, democracy, diversity, our humour, our creativity, our enterprise. Why not?

Much better than putting on the three lions and belting out Jerusalem whilst bemoaning "them Muslims."

Bang on.

[Head Honcho]

To be honest I was very surprised to see Leicester on the shortlist and I can't think of any reason why we should be.

[lavrentis]

I tend to find on this forum we put down our city a lot, we certainly do have our shitholes but where doesnt.

One thing that is annoying that its all too often that I walk past loads of litter in "green" areas, such as near the Soar river. Council what are you doing, get this cleared up please!

I think as a county Leicestershire is really nice, rolling hills and picturesque villages.

I think though Coalville should have been a nomination, what better culture can you get then the emergence of the Coalville coats.

[davieG]

I tend to find on this forum we put down our city a lot, we certainly do have our shitholes but where doesnt.

One thing that is annoying that its all too often that I walk past loads of litter in "green" areas, such as near the Soar river. Council what are you doing, get this cleared up please!

I think as a county Leicestershire is really nice, rolling hills and picturesque villages.

I think though Coalville should have been a nomination, what better culture can you get then the emergence of the Coalville coats.

It must be the culture of the people of Leicester to just drop their litter.

City of Culture rivals are absolute dumps, says Essex Tory MP

An Essex MP has branded some of the contenders for the UK 2017 Capital of Culture crown “absolute dumps.”

Tory MP David Amess, 60, is backing Southend-on-Sea, his home town, to win the title.

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  Tory MP David Amess
  

As previously reported by the Mercury Leicester is also bidding.

Other rivals include Chester, Hull, Swansea Bay and Plymouth, Aberdeen, East Kent, Dundee, Portsmouth and Southampton and Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea.

The Mirror has reported Mr Amess claimed many of Southend’s rivals: “wouldn’t know culture if it was put in front of them”.

He said: “I have looked at some of the competition and frankly they are absolute dumps some of them.

“I better not say more because I’ll get into trouble, but I really think it is Southend which jumps out.”

Mr Amess, who represents Southend West, said the town has been “under-rated and under-used” in the past.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who chairs a consortium putting together Leicester’s bid, told the Mercury: “I have been to some of the other places and undoubtedly some of them are very interesting.

“However, I am confident any impartial observer will see that none of them can match Leicester’s unique mixture of cultures.

“We have a brilliant opportunity here and, having seen our rivals, I am confident in our chances.”

All 11 areas must submit their bids by the end of April.

An independent panel will then decide on a shortlist before the winner is announced in November.

Read more: http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/City-Culture-rivals-absolute-dumps-says-Essex/story-18354923-detail/story.html#ixzz2MwWwvBZZ

Follow us: @thisisleics on Twitter | thisisleicestershire on Facebook

[purpleronnie]

More Poles and Slovaks, less braindead little ***** please.

Definately.

[Zingari]

Who decides which city will win and how are these people qualified to make these decisions?

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is administering the initiative , but I've just looked at which M.Ps are responsible for this department and there are 3 , one of which is Hugh Robertson who is Con. M.P. for mid Kent . But he also has very strong ties with Canterbury.

Surely this will give the East Kent bid a big advantage .

Or am I being overly superstitious (sic) ?