Londonderry hopes to become first City of Culture

LONDONDERRY is poised for tomorrow's announcement of which city will become the first ever UK City of Culture.

Hopes are high that the city can pull off a coup, amid mounting speculation that Londonderry will tomorrow be named as the winner.

As the race for the bid enters its final day, there have been reports in the national press that Londonderry will clinch the title from rivals Birmingham, Norwich and Sheffield.

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It is rumoured that the announcement will be made during Thursday's edition of 'The One Show' on BBC 1.

The consequences of victory could be considerable. Winning the UK City of Culture could help Londonderry become a regional centre for the arts and be a platform for economic growth.

Derry City Council's chief executive Valerie Watts, who was part of the team who travelled to Liverpool last month to deliver the bid to the judging panel, said: " The bid team were very, very focused.

Categorically we could not have done any better, every effort has gone into producing what we hope is the winning bid."

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She added: "There is a great sense of hope in the city and its ability to galvanise hope across all parts of the city so that everyone is looking to the same unified goal or prize."

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Owen Paterson, visited the city last week to give his backing to the bid.

Saying he was a "very, very strong supporter" of the city's bid, Mr Paterson said: "In a city that boasts everything from the Undertones to Seamus Heaney, The Field Day Theatre Company, Dana, Phil Coulter and many others, a place that is home to talent, creativity , energy and strength the bid deserves every success."

Former mayor, Joe Miller said yesterday he was "hopeful", adding: "I am sure that everything that could have been done, has been done, and I look forward to hearing the decision."

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