Stockton: a worthy contender for Town of Culture prize

It is appropriate as it comes just weeks after the opening of its £23m Stockton Waterfront Urban Park, which is one of the most extraordinary attempts in the country to revive a town centre and to right the wrongs of the 1970s.

Stockton has much to commend it, with its railways and matches, its theatres, libraries and The Globe which, after its redevelopment, has suddenly become a regional capital for entertainment.

READ FIRST: STOCKTON MAKES IT TO THE SHORTLIST

But so many of our other towns have so much to commend them. That 18 towns, from Alnwick to Scarborough, in the North East and North Yorkshire, submitted expressions of interest tells how vibrant culture is in our neck of the woods.

It must have been impossible for the judges to pare down 398 entries, so we are sure they have tried to spread them out across the country and they have tried to ensure that towns which really need a boost are involved.

Disappointingly, this means towns with really impressive entries – and you must be bowled over by the cultural achievements of Bishop Auckland in the last decade and Richmond in the last couple of centuries – must miss out.

However, it is to be hoped that the bidding process has reminded the participants just how much their places have to offer and why they should be proud of them.

Perhaps the question should be asked of those towns which did not take part why they did not choose to blow their own trumpets when there was a potential £3m prize at stake – hopefully, Stockton can bring it home for us all.