Town which hosted Stone Roses gig in culture bid

A small town which hosted a huge moment in musical history has submitted its bid to become the UK's first Town of Culture in 2028.

Halton Council said Widnes had a "rich and proud cultural heritage", including staging of the most legendary gigs of all time, the Stone Roses' show at Spike Island in May 1990.

The government launched the Town of Culture contest last year, inspired by the success of the City of Culture competition.

Widnes is the third town in the Liverpool City Region to bid for the accolade. Prescot in Knowsley and Bootle in Sefton have been nominated by their respective councils.

Halton Council said its "All Roads Lead To Widnes" campaign would highlight "all aspects of the Widnes story, from our historic beginnings, including the Vikings, industry, West Bank Promenade/Spike Island, bridges, rugby and music heritage".

The centrepiece of Widnes's bid may well be the place the town holds in UK music history.

The Stone Roses' Spike Island gig - attended by up to 30,000 fans - has gone down in folklore.

Held on the banks of the River Mersey at the height of the "Madchester" era, it is one of rock music's most mythologised live shows.

Widnes is nearly equidistant from the huge musical hubs of Manchester and Liverpool, and was a perfect meeting point for the band's legions of fans.

Spike Island had been at the centre of Britain's chemical industry since the Industrial Revolution.

This backdrop, and the fact that the Roses rarely played live - let alone a show on this scale - have added to the mythology.

Spike Island is now a haven for wildlife, with paths for walkers and cyclists alike.

The Stone Roses gig is not Widnes's only claim to musical fame, though.

Another is widely debated.

It was said that Paul Simon wrote Homeward Bound, a huge hit for Simon and Garfunkel, whilst waiting for a train at Widnes station in September 1965, before heading to Hull - the next stop on their UK tour.

Though a plaque was erected at the station to commemorate the event, experts have cast doubt on the claim.

It has been accepted, however, that he did pen the tune in the north-west of England, somewhere between Liverpool, Warrington and Widnes.

Widnes also saw early performances by Queen's Freddie Mercury with local band Ibex, led by Widnes guitarist Mike Bersin.

A local tale claimed that at one gig his microphone stand broke, and he carried on regardless, twirling the mic around – something which later became part of his performing style.

Notable figures from the arts with links to Widnes include Spice Girl Mel C - who grew up in the town - and playwright Alan Bleasdale who went to school there.

The Catalyst museum is a hands-on visitor experience which tells the tale of the town's chemical industry.

Laura Bevan, from Halton Council, said: "Widnes has a proud and rich cultural history, from being the beating heart of the global chemical industry to the huge impact we've made on the music scene, and our proud and impressive sporting heritage.

"Culture, history and heritage are truly woven into the fabric of this town - Widnes has it all and that is why we are extremely excited to submit our bid for Town of Culture 2028 and create an opportunity to reignite pride and recapture the imagination of our incredible communities."

The winning town will be awarded £3m to deliver a cultural programme for about six months in 2028.

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