CULTURE ? I’LL SHOW YOU CULTURE, SAYS BRADFORD

July 2026. Bradford.

I see Corby has been shortlisted for UK Town of Culture 2028, and rightly so. Who could deny a place with “hot piping action” ?

It faces tough competition from Basildon and the lesser lights highlighted by the BBC in a typical sneery article.

I can recommend ALL of those places, particularly the last on the list.

What would have been wrong with plain “Stockton, home of the Bass Banker“.

In case you’re getting confused, there’s an annual European City of Culture (the one the Scousers won for 2008), a four yearly UK Capital of Culture (Hull in 2017, Wrexham a cert for 2029), and this new competition for towns. By 2030, individual UK houses will be eligible to enter and I shall be nominating our garden.

As it is, Bradford is our most recent cultural capital, and rightly so. The death of David Hockney last month has put the focus on Salt Mill and Cartwright Hall, the wonderful Industrial Museum (just too far out to walk to) and Media Museums would grace any city, and the squares around the majestic town hall have had a bit of gardening in the Sheffield style.

But, when all’s said and done, Bratfud’s heritage rests on curry.

We’d chosen to stay in the central Holiday Inn Express for the Saltaire and Bingley legs of the Cask Camino. Saltaire is oddly lacking in hotels, while the HIE offers rooms for £50 a night (sad breakfast included) and £1.50 per 24 hour parking.

“Can we go to the place the Southworths couldn’t get in ?” says Mrs RM.

Well, obviously she didn’t say it quite like that, but the inability of the International to accomodate Joan and Dave at 16:30 on Sunday recently may have suggested the good folk of Bradford were keeping this treasure to themselves,

and at Mrs RM’s insistence I booked a table for 17:30, by which time it was already close to capacity.

It was fantastic. Relaxed, cheery, staff, the full diversity of 21st century Bradford, and finally I make the sensible choice of a half kilogram of Desi Lamb on the bone with chapatis.

It’s what Dave would do, despite being the most I’ve ever paid for a curry (£21.95). Still a bargain, and I was finishing off Mrs RM’s Chicken Karahi in the hotel 3 hours later before the England game.

Great Horton Street is where we introduced the boys to culture. This is the family naan in Omar’s in 2015.

The year of culture and the Turner Prize may have gone, but this is the year to stay in Bradford.

I mean, just look at it.

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Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

18 thoughts on “CULTURE ? I’LL SHOW YOU CULTURE, SAYS BRADFORD”

  3. I’ve had a bolthole a few miles down the road since 2001.

    The International was my second favourite after Bharat, but has now been bumped up to first after Bharat’s much-lamented closure.

    Otherwise, I’ve never bothered much with Bradford, just as didn’t Derby when I lived in Long Eaton…

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    1. Never heard of Bharat. I’m sure there used to be more formica table places in Bradford when I first visited for football in the 90s, but that may have been an impression given by Bill Bryson.

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      1. You are not wrong Martin, as a visitor (for work) to the hospitals in Bradford, there was one by the island I forget the name, now Medinas roti house, and a couple up Carlisle st now gone, some of the others around Morley St/International, Karachi etc have gone too, sign of the times, sadly.

        The Exchange pub in town is good too, as is Boar and Fable opp Record Cafe, but thats about it.
        For the late arrivals back in Bradford after a Piece Hall gig, there’s always the Wetherspoons thats open till 1am….

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      1. The ones I have not been to are Corby. Isle of Bute and Lerwick.
        My mums family were from Gortin in the Sperrin mountains and visits involved the treat of going shopping in Strabane but you had to be finished before the curfew.

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      2. Where do you live ? There must be a heritage tourist bus to Corby from there.

        Actually, never been to Lerwick. There wasn’t a Shetland pub in the Guide in 2022.

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