Northumberland and North Tyneside entries miss out on Town of Culture bid

Towns across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham have missed out on the chance to become the UK’s first Town of Culture.

The Government has announced a shortlist of 15 locations across the country which could take the inaugural title in 2028.

Alnwick, Berwick, Ashington and Amble were among the towns which made bids.

placeholder image — Alnwick, Berwick, Ashington and Amble were among the towns which made bids.

Almost 400 bids were made across the UK, including 20 from the North East.

While Stockton town centre has made the shortlist, and will get £60,000 to develop a full bid, no others from our region were successful.

It means disappointment for Alnwick, Amble, Barnard Castle, Bedlington, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Hexham, Peterlee, Shildon, Ashington, Bishop Auckland, Blyth, Cramlington, Jarrow, North Shields, Redcar, Seaham, Stanley, Gateshead, and Hartlepool.

North Tyneside mayor Karen Clark said: “While we are naturally disappointed that North Shields was not short-listed, we remain immensely proud of everything that the town achieved through the bid process and, more importantly, of the incredible cultural story it continues to tell.

“The story of North Shields is far from finished, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate and invest in the culture, heritage and people that make it such a special place.”

Ian Lavery, Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington, admitted it “was always going to be a huge challenge” for Ashington, Bedlington or Blyth to be selected from a total of 398 bids.

He added: “But every single person who stepped forward to support, contribute and champion these bids should be incredibly proud.

“Our communities and our culture deserve to be celebrated loud and proud. From the Pitmen Painters and Blyth Carnival to Bedlington Family Festival, our music, our dialect, our heritage and, most importantly, our people tell a story worth sharing.”