Bradford is the UK City of Culture 2025 and, though it was nail-bitingly tense before the result was announced, I knew my home city would win.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries made the announcement and the crowds erupted.
I’m a dyed-in-the-wool Bradfordian and for me this victory is bittersweet because my parents aren't here to see it..
The headlines will focus on Bradford being the curry capital of the UK and they are indeed sublime. Even Dame Helen Mirren said so on a recent visit. But the city offers so much more than that.
My father settled in Bradford in the 1960s. Unlike the majority of Pakistanis he didn’t come here to work in the “dark, satanic mills” but to study textiles at Bradford University, and gained a doctorate in the subject.
He was offered jobs all around the world but stayed here.
Now our lives are woven into the fabric of this remarkable place, which was once the wool capital of the world and one of the richest cities in Britain.
As a child I remember him pointing at a terrace house and saying: “This is where the great composer Frederick Delius lived.”
The city also spawned former One Direction member, Zayn Malik, and Mike Batt of The Wombles fame. And Kiki Dee. Eclectic!
My dad would take me to the Central Library every Saturday and point out the statue of the writer J.B. Priestley who penned An Inspector Calls.
I live near the ruins of the house that inspired Emily Brontë to write the classic Wuthering Heights. Before the pandemic, our picturesque village would be besieged by thousands of tourists from all around the world, eager to visit the Bronte Parsonage and Bronte Waterfall.
And it isn’t just Haworth which is outstanding and attracts visitors.
Saltaire is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the paintings of David Hockney, which can sell for millions, are on display.
Both my parents, who were teachers and contributed so much to the city, are now buried in Bradford. It is a comfort blanket for me but thanks to this award I hope more people will come to see the rich tapestry Bradford still weaves.
