Bootle's Bold Bid for UK Town of Culture: Can Football's Heartland Triumph?

It may be more famous for producing footballers than poets or artists, but Bootle will be Sefton council's nominee for the title of UK Town of Culture. The town, which was the birthplace of both Jamie Carragher and Alex Greenwood, is the first Merseyside location to throw its hat in the ring. Council leader Marion Atkinson said she would be "getting her elbows out" to get Bootle nominated ahead of other towns with their eyes on the prize. Atkinson said Bootle was starting to emerge as a real force in the local music scene, with the band Red Rum Club leading the way. A mural of Red Rum Club was painted at Bootle's flagship venue Salt and Tar in 2024. Atkinson said Bootle was an up-and-coming cultural destination which deserved to be on the map. She said "it's got everything, it's got all the bells and whistles, it's got culture, it's got music – we are going to give it a good go." The town's MP Peter Dowd said the bid was "a great idea". He added: "Bootle's confidence to play a role in Merseyside's cultural heritage is there to be seen. "I remember people from outside being sceptical of Liverpool's bid to be Capital of Culture. How wrong they were." A visit to its weekly market revealed mixed opinions about whether Bootle should be awarded the title. Marie, who did not want to give her surname, said Bootle "was so sad, not the thriving place it once was", and that a lack of disposable income would prevent people paying for art, music or theatre. However, at his busy stall, baker Andy said the bid was a "good idea" and the town's potential to draw visitors to cultural events by using the canal had been proven by Salt and Tar. Claire Morgans, chief executive of Ykids charity and children's bookshop Kingsley and Co, said she was fully backing the bid. "Bootle has so much to offer. And culture isn't just opera," she said. She added "I think there's a real entrepreneurship about Bootle, people make things happen". Morgans founded a biennial children's literature festival in the town in 2013, and said she aimed to make it "like Hay-on-Wye for children". "If a small village in Wales can attract the world's attention, why can't Bootle?" she said. Bootle is mentioned in the Domesday book, and in the 19th century was competing with Liverpool for wealth and shipping. Its architecture reflects its wealthy maritime history, though it was bombed heavily in the second world war. The towns fortunes have risen and fallen with the shipping industry, and changes to the docks. It can claim some notable figures from the world of entertainment: comedian Tom O'Connor, TV presenter Keith Chegwin, and rock n roll singer Billy J. Kramer.