Despite freezing temperatures, the launch of Bradford City of Culture 2025 warmed the heart. From spectacular speeches high up on scaffolding by spoken word poet Kirsty Taylor to a marvellous magic show by Steven Frayne, formerly Dynamo.

Whoever decided to hold Bradford’s City of Culture launch outdoors in January, after dark and in subzero temperatures, was either a born optimist or someone deeply in touch with the Bradfordian psyche.

My return to Bradford is by invitation to celebrate the town’s designation as UK City of Culture for 2025. This is a competition run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), inviting places across the UK to set out their vision for culture-led regeneration and takes place every four years.