Tens of thousands visit Birkenhead Park events for ‘September to remember’ on Wirral

Birkenhead Park in Wirral has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors over the past week for an unprecedented programme of major events as part of Wirral’s year as Borough of Culture for the Liverpool City Region.

Yesterday’s Wirral stage of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain (Wednesday 11 September), which started and finished in the Park, was the most recent event to draw crowds. All eyes were on Wirral for the exciting race as it came to the borough for the first time, with residents, visitors and schoolchildren lining the course to cheer the competitors on.

Other recent major events included the all-new Wirral Food and Drink Festival which ran over two days (Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 September), and included cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs Paul Askew, Ellis Barrie, Paul Da Costa-Greaves and others.

More than 5,000 people enjoyed evening performances by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, and Lightning Seeds, The Christians and China Crisis on Sunday.

Birkenhead Park provided the perfect environment for this series of events, all organised by Wirral Council as part of Wirral’s year as Borough of Culture for the Liverpool City Region.

Cllr Christine Spriggs, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism said: “What a September to remember! It has been great to see people in their thousands turn out to enjoy the sunshine and entertainment, taking part in these events. There are lots more exciting things to look forward to over the next few months. I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone involved, including our partners and supporters.”

The Borough of Culture initiative was introduced by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and is designed to encourage cultural activities across the region.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “The Borough of Culture title is an essential part of the Liverpool City Region’s commitment to supporting cultural activities as part of the 1% for Culture programme, and Wirral has given us a fantastic year of exciting cultural events engaging communities. Culture and the visitor economy are vital to our city region, employing more than 50,000 people and generating more than £4.5bn a year. These high profile and popular events sum up what we’re aiming for with the Borough of Culture and it’s been a spectacular week!”

Paul Askew, Chef Patron of The Art School Restaurant and Chair of the Wirral Visitor Economy Board, said: “It was fantastic to see such an impressive turnout for the Food and Drink Festival, with the public, traders and supporters all enjoying a great experience. This shows what Wirral can do, and I’m proud to be able to play a part in it. There is a lot more planned, so don’t miss out!”

For more information on these and other Wirral Borough of Culture events visit imaginewirral.com.

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