Ahead of Sefton’s Borough of Culture year, we want residents and visitors to tell us what stories they want us to celebrate throughout 2020.
The Borough of Culture (BoC) title is awarded by the Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority to one of its six local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral) on a rotating, annual basis.
2019 is currently Wirral’s year while 2020 will be dedicated to Sefton with a raft of new, existing and community led events planned for the year.
The focus of Sefton’s year will be on stories, looking at two key elements, local history and the environment.
Through the Sefton Stories Project, we are already planning to celebrate narrative around the Bootle Blitz, Red Rum and the Grand National, the borough’s amazing coastline, Southport’s tourism and Maghull amateur astronomer Isaac Roberts.
But as the borough is blessed with so many other different and unique stories and individuals behind them, we want the public to decide on who else to celebrate in 2020.
After much deliberation, a list of 10 stories has been chosen to vote on with at least 4 more being added to the final list. A blank box has also been added enabling people to champion stories or individuals they think we have missed and one of these will be included as well.
An online poll has now been set up on www.mysefton.co.uk for people to cast their votes and we are encouraging groups and individuals to champion different stories telling us why they should be celebrated.
The poll will run until January 13, 2020 with the full list for the Sefton Stories Project announced shortly afterwards.
The list to vote for includes:
Spotlight On: Sefton’s Maritime History:
The Heroes of the Lusitania and Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic
Spotlight On:
Frederick J Hooper:
Polar explorer, member of Scott expedition
Spotlight On: Dame Beryl Bainbridge
Acclaimed British writer
Spotlight On: Thomas Fresh:
Pioneer in British environmental health
Spotlight On: Kenny Everett:
Comedian and radio disc jockey
Spotlight On: Sir Henry Segrave:
Made the land speed record in 1926
Spotlight On:
Frank Hornby:
Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys
Spotlight On: Albert Pierrepoint:
The last hangman in Britain
Spotlight On: James Dunwoody Bullock:
Confederacy’s chief foreign agent during the US Civil War
Spotlight On: Christiana Hartley:
Social and welfare rights activist, philanthropist
To vote visit www.mysefton.co.uk/2019/11/24/sefton-stories/
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