High hopes for Durham's 2013 City of Culture bid

Dec 11 2009 by Neil McKay, The Journal

A TROUPE of “Billy Elliots” marked Durham’s official bid to the Government to become Britain’s City of Culture 2013.

Today County Durham officially submits its bid and Rhys Yeomans, star of Billy Elliot the Musical, joined a group of Durham schoolboys at Westminster to promote the city’s prospects yesterday.

The musical revolves around motherless Billy, who trades boxing gloves for ballet shoes, and is set in east Durham during the 1984/5 miners strike.

Among a host of illustrious names supporting Durham’s bid are baritone Sir Thomas Allen, born in Seaham Harbour and currently starring in Der Rosenkavalier at the Royal Opera House.

He said: “Durham is only 12 miles from where I was born and its pull has grown stronger over the years. The centrepiece of our small city is a cathedral, the most powerful and beautiful of its kind in the world in my opinion.

“Already a World Heritage Site, Durham deserves accolade upon accolade and I’m delighted to support the application to become City of Culture 2013.”

Writer and Durham University chancellor Bill Bryson said: “My long standing affair with Durham is well known as I have, without hesitation, lavished praise on its architecture, heritage, gardens, river. The more time I spend in the company of the people of Durham, the more I realise that there really must be something in the water here.”