Telford aims to be UK Town of Culture in 60th year

Telford is seeking to be crowned the first UK Town of Culture in its 60th birthday year.

The New Town was created on 29 November, 1968 and the leader of the local authority, Lee Carter, said he believed the history and diversity of the area would enable a "confident and well evidenced bid".

The government announced the Town of Culture contest in January, following the same blueprint as the search for the UK City of Culture.

It has asked for initial submissions to be made by 31 March.

The council will include mention of the mix of historic town centres that make up Telford, including Ironbridge, which is regarded as the birthplace of the industrial revolution.

Carter said the bid would also mention that Ironbridge was the birthplace of Billy Wright, the first footballer to gain 100 caps for England and Dawley being the birthplace of Capt Matthew Webb, the first person to swim the English Channel.

The councillor responsible for culture, Angela McClements, said there were already plans in place to mark the anniversary of the New Town's creation, "so it would be a missed opportunity not to put it forward to be considered for Town of Culture".

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