Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Any Worse

[FatticusInch]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-61648977
Seriously?

[ichkeria]

Sorry to drag Ukraine into this, but I doubt if the beleaguered residents of Severodonetsk would see the award as the disaster the OP appears to.

[bobbinwales]

What's your issue with Bradford. Is it about Muslims?
Coventry was the last one and apart from the cathedral it was a dump in need of hrlp

[youngmafbog]

I've been to Bradford.

It is a dump.

[bookbinder]

I lived in various parts of Bradford from the age of about 3 months until I was 52. My wife was born in Bradford, and she also left when she was 52. When we heard that Bradford had been awarded the distinction of City of Culture, we were surprised. Bradford had never seemed to us to be a place of culture, rather, the opposite. However, I note that the award is not given for past achievements, but for future cultural festivities that should take place during the one designated year, in this case, 2025. It seems to me that 'culture' will not prevail in Bradford, and the place will never change its aura of 'non-cultural'.

[ichkeria]

“City of Culture 2025” plainly isn’t going to be an award for “past cultural achievements” which would in any case be horribly patronising.
Good luck to Bradford, Coventry and everywhere else.

[Milo2]

It all depends which parts of Bradford you have visited. There are nice places and not so nice places but in my experience that describes many towns and cities.

[barry1010]

I've had great times in both Bradford and Durham although the first time I went to Durham the accommodation I booked over the phone (before the days of the internet) was so bad I refused to stay.
It was a pub with an Irish name - Molly Malone? The room was absolutely filthy

[Zacs-Master]

As a 'Bradford Lad' (well, just outside) I'm extremely pleased that the city has won. I agree, it is tired, a bit grubby and run down (others have used more derogatory language) which is EXACTLY where the City of Culture award should go. Durham is a thriving tourist city and doesn't need any outside investment.

[barry1010]

bookbinder, Bradford has some fine museums, architecture and a fascinating history. Lots of famous artists, novelists, poets and musicians hailed from Bradford, it has plenty of culture.
And of course Yorkshire is the 'in' place at the moment - everything on tv seems to have 'Yorkshire' somewhere in the title

[tomus42]

Yawn. The city of culture award is not about giving an award to the city that is in posession of the most 'culture'. If it was, the same place would win it every year.

It is designed to direct some investment and publicity to the places that need it.