Jubilee Cities Announced

[Eagle]

Gretna anyone...?

I can't seem to find population figures for Raith :P

 

[yorksrob]

Personally I think the last place to be announced that was deserving of City status was Brighton. They all now seem to be suited to the category of either large town or very historic town.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Oh dear. Perth I understand and Chelmsford yeah, but St Asaph...what the heck? Why? Sure it's religious but we have Reading and Middlesborough which are much better contenders!
(Also I'm annoyed that Preston isn't the newest city anymore)

 

[Ivo]

Personally I think the last place to be announced that was deserving of City status was Brighton. They all now seem to be suited to the category of either large town or very historic town.

The problem though is that Brighton is strictly speaking not a city. Only the wider area of Brighton & Hove has City Status, and in this form I do not feel that the local authority does deserve City Status on acount of the weakness of the Hove part. If it applied to Brighton only I would probably agree.

P.S.: I would suggest that Inverness probably deserves City Status, as the ancient capital of the Highlands

(Also I'm annoyed that Preston isn't the newest city anymore)

Big deal. It was only joint-newest as it was! Preston should never have won City Status in my opinion.

 

[yorksrob]

I lived in Reading for a while. Didn't strike me as City material TBH.

 

[Tracky]

Living in Wrexham as I do I am very pleased for St Asaph...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

(Also I'm annoyed that Preston isn't the newest city anymore)

That's false. Both Preston and Newport (South Wales) became cities on 15 May 2002.

Big deal. It was only joint-newest as it was! Preston should never have won City Status in my opinion.

I share that opinion.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

Big deal. It was only joint-newest as it was! Preston should never have won City Status in my opinion.

It's open to debate, but Preston is actually really big, a dedicated bus service, high-frequency trains, semi-religious, mixed-race, and at the time a top football team

 

[yorksrob]

The problem though is that Brighton is strictly speaking not a city. Only the wider area of Brighton & Hove has City Status, and in this form I do not feel that the local authority does deserve City Status on acount of the weakness of the Hove part. If it applied to Brighton only I would probably agree.

I'm not sure. I think we all know who wears the trousers in the Brighton - Hove relationship (probably a pair of skintight leather trousers ).

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It's open to debate, but Preston is actually really big, a dedicated bus service, high-frequency trains, semi-religious, mixed-race, and at the time a top football team

165,000~ makes it comparable with Luton, MK, Northampton, Southend, Walsall, all of which aren't cities, and still way behind Dudley and Reading.

Dedicated bus service? OK...

I suggest Preston's train frequency has something to do with it sitting on 6 separate railway lines (i.e. a major junction), and being on the busiest mainline in the country.

Preston used to be one of the most Catholic towns in Britain, and isn't too multi-cultural compared to neighbouring Blackburn or other towns around the country.

Top football team? There's about 10-15 towns with football teams above yours; Reading, Bolton, Middlesbrough and Blackburn to name but a few.

 

[Ivo]

It's open to debate, but Preston is actually really big, a dedicated bus service, high-frequency trains, semi-religious, mixed-race, and at the time a top football team

Individual responses:

"Really big" - Not especially; there are plenty of larger towns. Even if you include the entire Urban Area, as I have told you before the agglomeration is no larger than the Aldershot Urban Area.
"Dedicated bus service, high-frequency trains" - Reading beats you on both counts, although transport actually counts for very little.
"Semi-Religious" - As opposed to "blatantly religious", which is true of several others (including Rochester, which lost City Status)?
"Mixed-race" - What large settlement isn't these days?
"Top football team" - It's been a very long time since Preston North End were in the top flight; they have been closer since 2002 than they were then.

Blast it. Matt beat me to it.

I'm not sure. I think we all know who wears the trousers in the Brighton - Hove relationship (probably a pair of skintight leather trousers ).

We do indeed - Kemp Town

(jk)

 

[yorksrob]

We do indeed - Kemp Town

(jk)

Surely you mean "Brighton East Goods Yard"

 

[PR1Berske]

Of course Preston deserved to be a city (I declare an interest, of course )

Preston is a very different place to many others in Lancashire, and the North generally. There is a great cultural hub here, very under-reported. We have internationally rewarded artists, numerous bands from across the musical spectrum including bands who still appear on BBC 6 Music today, a growing art scene and numerous regionally and nationally regarded restaurants. Our University is the fastest growing in the country.

It's fashionable to bash Preston. But you know what, it's no use, because you'll find a lot of people saying a heck of a lot of good. We're tumble down, a little messy round the edges, our buildings don't match and there's a tribute to concrete in the middle, but you know what, it's a great little place and city status is well deserved.

So there :P

 

[W-on-Sea]

Chelmsford's a daft decision. Reading has far more a sense of civic pride and sense of place. So even has Colchester. Perth and Armagh both make sense, and while i don't know it at all, St Asaph at least has an historical case. Chelmsford has had a bad case of being destroyed by town planners, and even its cathedral hasn't been one for that long

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk

 

[Ivo]

Of course Preston deserved to be a city (I declare an interest, of course )

Preston is a very different place to many others in Lancashire, and the North generally. There is a great cultural hub here, very under-reported. We have internationally rewarded artists, numerous bands from across the musical spectrum including bands who still appear on BBC 6 Music today, a growing art scene and numerous regionally and nationally regarded restaurants. Our University is the fastest growing in the country.

It's fashionable to bash Preston. But you know what, it's no use, because you'll find a lot of people saying a heck of a lot of good. We're tumble down, a little messy round the edges, our buildings don't match and there's a tribute to concrete in the middle, but you know what, it's a great little place and city status is well deserved.

So there :P

Anyone OUTSIDE Preston agree with this summary? Culture is important but it's not the only factor.

[Chelmsford's] cathedral hasn't been one for that long

1918 I believe

 

[Eagle]

Both Preston and Newport became cities on 15 May 2002.

Preston, Newport, Lisburn, Newry and Stirling all became cities on that date.

I would suggest that Inverness probably deserves City Status, as the ancient capital of the Highlands.

It already is a city (well, since 2000).

 

[Ivo]

It [Inverness] already is a city (well, since 2000).

It was in response to a post about Brighton being the last place that deserved City Status. Inverness was awarded the status at the same time and thus fits as a response, because in my opinion yorksrob should have mentioned it too

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Preston, Newport, Lisburn, Newry and Stirling all became cities on that date.

Really? The source I used had Lisburn, Newry and Stirling all down as April:
http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/CityStatus/CityStatusTable1.asp

That's a pretty good little website BTW, great for populations, city statuses, dates etc.

 

[Eagle]

Really? The source I used had Lisburn, Newry and Stirling all down as April:
http://www.lovemytown.co.uk/CityStatus/CityStatusTable1.asp

Interesting. I assumed that because they were all proclaimed at the same time, they would have acquired the status at the same time.

 

[Greenback]

I lived in Reading for a while. Didn't strike me as City material TBH.

I( lived there from 1995 to 2001, and I thought it had all the hallmarks of a city. That, of course, raises the question of how a city should be defined, and I imagine that is is rather subjective!

For me, a modern city would have to be a natural economic, industrial or administrative centre for the surrounding area. I think Reading qualifies here, as it draws many people from the surounding districts to its employment, shopping and entertainment facilities. Not that this was always the case!

 

[Ivo]

Just a thought. According to the modern practice, doesn't the entire local authority area receive City Status (whatever said authority would be)? Assuming it was Chelmsford Borough Council that petitioned the Queen for said distinction, doesn't that mean that the likes of Howe Green, Little Waltham and Chignal St James - all small villages in the heart of Essex - are now outposts of a City?

At least "Welcome to the City of Roxwell" [another Chelmsford Borough village] sounds remotely like a city...

 

[CarterUSM]

I think it all seems a bit pointless anyway. Who cares! You can have pride in your town/city anyway, or not, as the case may be.

 

[Ivo]

I see no-one has as yet mentioned the winner of the separate competition for the status of Lord Mayoralty. Last time out, this was awarded to Exeter; this time, the winner was the not-so-grand city of Armagh. Care to explain this decision, Mr Clegg?

EDIT: Actually, I see he has. Armagh was chosen " in recognition of the significance of every part of the United Kingdom in the Diamond Jubilee year" (source). That isn't exactly the fairest way forward is it? England will always lose out when decisions such as this are made; at this rate, Caersws will be a City sooner than the likes of Middlesbrough...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It had to be Northern Irish AFAIK, as the city statuses went to the other three UK countries.

 

[yorksrob]

It was in response to a post about Brighton being the last place that deserved City Status. Inverness was awarded the status at the same time and thus fits as a response, because in my opinion yorksrob should have mentioned it too

I wasn't aware that Inverness was announced at the same time, however, I'll be diplomatic and say that I assumed that it was like the first twin to emerge from the womb to leave Brighton as the last place deserving
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I( lived there from 1995 to 2001, and I thought it had all the hallmarks of a city. That, of course, raises the question of how a city should be defined, and I imagine that is is rather subjective!

For me, a modern city would have to be a natural economic, industrial or administrative centre for the surrounding area. I think Reading qualifies here, as it draws many people from the surounding districts to its employment, shopping and entertainment facilities. Not that this was always the case!

I must admit, I have an axe to grind in that I didn't get on well with it. There was a decent pub called the Hobgoblin though I seem to recall.

 

[Eagle]

I see no-one has as yet mentioned the winner of the separate competition for the status of Lord Mayoralty. Last time out, this was awarded to Exeter; this time, the winner was the not-so-grand city of Armagh. Care to explain this decision, Mr Clegg?

Well, Armagh is the only traditional city in Northern Ireland (being as only Protestant cathedrals were counted, apparently—Birmingham Catholic Cathedral dates to the 18th century, for instance).

 

[Lampshade]

Big deal. It was only joint-newest as it was! Preston should never have won City Status in my opinion.

I share that opinion.

Haters gonna hate

 

[Ivo]

Well, Armagh is the only traditional city in Northern Ireland (being as only Protestant cathedrals were counted, apparently—Birmingham Catholic Cathedral dates to the 18th century, for instance).

Considering that whilst Armagh was once a city, its status had lapsed - and it was only reapplied in 1994? (The same is true of St David's.) Religion shouldn't be a factor at all in my opinion; by contrast, were Coleraine and Craigavon ever likely to win City Status? (Although, if Newry can, who's to say...?)

Here is a list of cities that applied:

Armagh
Cambridge
Derby
Gloucester
Lancaster
Newport (Gwent)
Peterborough
Salford
Southampton
St Albans
Sunderland
Wakefield

To me, at least three - Cambridge, Lancaster and St Albans - should come ahead of it. I half expected Bath to win, but er... the council didn't bother. D'oh! On the other hand, I don't see why Newport at the very least should have been permitted to enter? City Status in 2002; Lord Mayoralship in 2012?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Haters gonna hate

That's two threads you've criticised me in over Preston of late

 

[phil8715]

Did Blackburn apply? And St Asaph where the hell is that?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[MidnightFlyer]

To me, at least three - Cambridge, Lancaster and St Albans - should come ahead of it. I half expected Bath to win, but er... the council didn't bother. D'oh! On the other hand, I don't see why Newport at the very least should have been permitted to enter? City Status in 2002; Lord Mayoralship in 2012?

That may well be, but only one of those is in Northern Ireland - each country would either get a new city (3) OR mayoral status (1).