Why people of Wakefield should get behind City of Culture bid: Yorkshire Post Letters

I AM so pleased to support Wakefield’s City of Culture bid for 2025.

Wakefield, and the surrounding towns, have always had a strong cultural and historical heritage. It is good that this is recognised in the enthusiasm for this bid.

Many times I have been further afield from Wakefield and people I have spoken to had no idea of what we had in Wakefield.

This has recently been more acknowledged because of The Hepworth, the Sculpture Park and the Rhubarb Triangle, all of which have attracted publicity for Wakefield.

However, we had an outstanding provincial art gallery on Wentworth Terrace with a fine collection as the forerunner to the Hepworth.

We nurtured Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth in their younger days.

We have a proud industrial background with much we can explain and show to visitors and we are looking to the future with newer technologies.

Wakefield and district has played an enormous part in history from the Romans in Castleford and Pontefract through the Wars of the Roses and beyond.

We have a chapel of ease on Kirkgate Bridge, one of only four chantries in the country.

I could go on, but so much has been already said and done in support of the bid.

However I would urge all the citizens of Wakefield and district to be proud of ourselves and get behind this bid to make it work for all our benefit.

From: Mr G L Hall, Wakefield.

I AM struggling to understand Wakefield Council’s proposal that our fair city could in any way shape or form be considered to be a City of Culture.

Wakefield used to be a city of heavy industry – woollen mills, cotton mills, mining, mining machinery, and all the ancillary industries of those long-gone industries.

We do have The Hepworth and Bretton Park, but many cities have far more to offer in the way of culture than this.

Without transport, Bretton Park is off-limits to many Wakefield residents.

Also, the Hepworth building is just a grey square block on Kirkgate Bridge.

We also have the mining museum depicting how coal was mined all of 30 years ago. I am asking – where is the culture?

Having a brew on the pavement outside a cafe is not a culture of Wakefield. Italy, Paris, yes; Wakefield, not so.

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