Liverpool is a European city, of that there is no doubt.
This is a vibrant, international and outward looking place. But in recent times Liverpool has often had to look beyond this country's shores and on towards Europe for support and opportunity.
Next year, Liverpool will begin the ultimate European celebration when the kaleidoscopic carnival that is the Eurovision Song Contest arrives in the city. Friday's announcement was celebrated wildly across the city.
This is a city in need of a moment and once again it looks like our friends in Europe will help us to achieve just that.
READ MORE: Eurovision 2023 bid team share reason why Liverpool's campaign 'couldn't be ignored'
It is a matter of record that Liverpool's remarkable renaissance from the dark days of the 1980s has been powered by European funding. Where the city has often felt let down by its own government and the brutal budget cuts they have imposed, the EU was there to help out and drive vital transformation. Take a walk around Liverpool's vibrant city centre and you will regularly come across nods to how that European cash has shaped the place we know and love.
Liverpool and the wider Merseyside region's vital relationship with continental funding started back in 1994 when £700m of cash was allocated under the Objective 1 programme. At the turn of the Millennium another £928m followed and- the money kept pouring in after that to be used on vital projects and the transformation of key areas of the city and wider region.
In fact the journey many visitors will take en route to Eurovision 2023 will have a distinctly European flavour. If you are flying into Liverpool John Lennon Airport, you will be entering a busy, modern travel hub and not the 'chicken shed' it once was. European money helped to pay for that vital expansion at the turn of the century.
The EU also invested in public road links including the key rail connection to John Lennon Airport at Liverpool South Parkway and for those heading into the city centre by bus to enjoy the festivities next year? You may well arrive at Queen Square. The area benefited from the first Objective One funding scheme between 1994-99, which helped transform the acres of derelict and semi-derelict land and buildings close to Lime Street station.
If boats are your preferred method of travel, well it was £9m of EU cash that helped to create the world famous cruise liner terminal that brings so many and so much into Liverpool's economy every year.
In choosing Liverpool as next year's Eurovision host, the judges heaped praise on the 'world class' facilities of the M & S Bank Arena and Convention centre that will play host to the event itself. It feels quite fitting that the great, the good and the glitzy of Europe will descend on a waterfront facility that would not have been created without a whopping £50m of European funding.
When you take all this into account it's not surprising that the city recorded a solid Remain vote in the 2016 referendum. But it's not just about cash, Liverpool has benefitted hugely from its cultural relationship with Europe in recent times and is more than ready to do so again.
As the city continued to rebuild itself from the post-industrial decline of the 80s and early 90s, many will consider that the zenith of this rebirth was reached in 2008. This is when Liverpool was named the European Capital of Culture - sparking an unforgettable festival of joy and wonder across the city.
Before 2008 Liverpool had plenty of culture and plenty of passion but it needed a catalyst and an opportunity. The city was suddenly able to develop on these strength areas on an unrivalled, international stage. The cultural title changed perceptions of this city and provided the platform for Liverpool to become the world class visitor destination that it is today.
But 2008 was a long time ago now. 14 years is a long time by any measure, but when those years have been dominated by unrelenting government austerity and a vote to move away from the European support that meant so much to Liverpool and its struggling communities, these years have felt at times never-ending.
Liverpool has had plenty of other problems too. The city council has been mired in scandal in recent years and now finds itself in the unpalatable position of being run partly by Whitehall commissioners.
The pandemic exposed the fragility of this city's economic fortunes. The hospitality, tourism and visitor sector that is the lifeblood of Liverpool was continually clobbered by lockdowns and is now contending with a generation-defining cost of living crisis that has already seen too many independent businesses go under.
It was with all these factors in mind that Liverpool waited with bated breath and pounding hearts for Friday's announcement. This was a decision that went way beyond one big fun event (and it will be really, really amazingly fun) - this was a decision, a moment that could be defining for this city and its future.
The plans for Eurovision are already being put in place and will involve months of cultural events and offerings that will bring this city to life after some tough times. Of course nowhere has suffered more than Ukraine over the past year and Liverpool's bid will be built around an incredible platform on which to celebrate the spirit, the culture and the astounding resolve of that nation and its people.
Liverpool loves a party, it loves to welcome people and it loves to celebrate the good times. It was always to be the perfect place to host Eurovision 2023 but this event could and should be much more than that.
Once again this city is turning to face Europe for its next big moment.
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