Dundee may be out but it is far from down after being pipped to the title of UK City of Culture by Hull.
The city may not have been awarded the 2017 crown but within minutes of the result being announced city leaders were already contemplating making another run at the title in 2021 or even bidding for the city to become European Capital of Culture.
Culture secretary Maria Miller and head judge Phil Redmond announced that Hull had beaten Dundee, Leicester and Swansea Bay to the title on live television on Wednesday morning.
Dundee City Council leisure and arts director Stewart Murdoch, who led the city’s bid team, revealed a number of events planned for 2017 in the event of a Dundee victory may still go ahead.
“While we cannot be UK City of Culture, there’s no question that Dundee is a city of culture that’s going to put culture at the centre of the city’s regeneration,” he said.
Television presenter Lorraine Kelly, who lives in Broughty Ferry, was broadcasting live on Daybreak when the announcement was made and wearing special We Dundee shoes to show her support for the bid.
“Waiting for the result was horrible,” a crestfallen Lorraine told The Courier. “It was really difficult and I felt quite tearful to be honest, because I felt we had a brilliant chance.”
For full coverage of how Dundee plans to move on after the decision, see Thursday’s Courier or try our digital edition.