Three towns win city status for Diamond Jubilee - BBC News BBC News Three towns win city status for Diamond Jubilee 14 March 2012 Close share panel Image caption St Asaph's Cathedral building dates to the 13th Century Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph are to gain 'city status' to mark this year's Diamond Jubilee. The towns beat off competition from 22 others across the UK to win the "civic honours" accolade. The awards were granted by The Queen under the royal prerogative, following advice from ministers. Events to mark The Queen's 60 years on the throne began last month and come to a head with four days of celebration in the first weekend of June. The grant of city status is purely honorific and confers no additional powers, functions or funding. Local authorities were invited last year to submit bids for their towns to take on city status in a process overseen by the deputy prime minister's office. The winners are Chelmsford in Essex, Perth in Perthshire and St Asaph in Denbighshire.

'High quality' Only one title was expected to be awarded but the government said the awards to towns in England, Scotland and Wales were made "in recognition of the significance of every part of the UK" in Jubilee year, as well as the "high quality" of the bids submitted. Chelmsford, home to Essex County cricket team and Anglia Ruskin University, is one of the fast-growing towns in the south-east of England. The leader of Chelmsford Council, Roy Whitehead, said he was delighted with the announcement, which he called a "tremendous honour". I hope the competition has given the residents of all the places which applied a sense of civic pride Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister Perth, on the banks of the River Tay, is one of Scotland's largest towns and will become the country's seventh city. Pete Wishart, the SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said the award was "fantastic news". St Asaph, which has a population of about 3,500, will become one of the smallest cities in the UK.

It is one of the few towns in the UK with a cathedral never to have had city status and it also played an important role in the history of the Welsh language. The priest who translated the bible into Welsh, William Morgan, later became the bishop of St Asaph. In recent times, it is more popularly known as the birthplace of Liverpool striker Ian Rush. The current Bishop of St Asaph, Rt Rev Dr Gregory Cameron, said he was pleased "these decisions are made not on the size of the population but on the quality of community life". St Asaph was chosen ahead of Wrexham, a much larger town in north Wales. The other unsuccessful towns which entered the 2012 contest were: Bolton, Bournemouth, Colchester, Coleraine, Corby, Craigavon, Croydon, Doncaster, Dorchester, Dudley, Gateshead, Goole, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Reading, Southend, St Austell, Stockport and Tower Hamlets. 'Civic pride' Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the three towns had won out from an "exceptional" field of entrants.

"I have been moved by the pride and passion which people have shown in putting their nominations forward," he said. "The standard of application was very high and those who missed out should not be downhearted. I hope the competition has given the residents of all the places which applied a sense of civic pride, of collective ownership and community spirit." There are currently 66 cities in the UK. City status is rarely granted, with only 14 new cities created during the 20th century. In the last contest - held in 2002 for the Queen's Golden Jubilee - Preston, Newry, Lisburn and Newport were among the winners. In 2000, Brighton and Hove, Inverness and Wolverhampton were given the status to mark the new millennium. The government also announced on Wednesday that the right to use the title of Lord Mayor will be bestowed on the city of Armagh in Northern Ireland. It was chosen ahead of 11 other cities. Chelmsford - A History Chelmsford - A History - by David Jones Geographically, Chelmsford is in the centre of Essex.

Since the 13th century it has been the county town, the seat of the Assizes and an important market. Chelmsfords' pivotal position in Essex was consolidated by the establishment of Essex County Council in 1889. In 2012 Chelmsford was granted city status. The Romans called the place Caesaromagus. For a week in 1381 Chelmsford became the seat of Government for the whole of England to deal with the aftermath of the peasants' revolt. With the coming, first of the canal from Heybridge, and then the railways Chelmsford soon became a hub of industry and innovation. With the arrival of Marconi, Chelmsford became the birth place of radio. Chelmsford Chelmsford becomes first city in Essex after winning Diamond Jubilee contest | Daily Mail Online Home to the smallest cathedral in Britain, the North Wales town of St Asaph had been an ecclesiastical city for almost 1,500 years. Yesterday it became a city for real following a Royal announcement. Together with Perth in Scotland and Chelmsford in Essex, St Asaph was awarded city status to mark the Diamond Jubilee.

The newly classed city of St Asaph has a population of around 3,400 - a fifteenth of the size of fellow new city Perth The trio beat off 22 others to be granted the accolade. While many of its rivals spent thousands on their campaigns, councillors in St Asaph – population 3,400 – splashed out just £300 on their application. Bookmakers were so convinced it would not win that, just a couple of weeks ago, they were offering odds of 33-1 against it securing the title. Yesterday councillor Denise Hodgkinson, who helped devise the bid, said: ‘I was shocked but delighted when I heard the news – I just stood in my kitchen and cried. This is the third time we have applied for city status, so it was third time lucky. I’ve never put a bet on in my life – I wish I had done now.’ ST ASAPH: SMALL... BUT FAMOUS St Asaph may not be well known but one of its most famous sons is record Liverpool and Wales goalscorer Ian Rush.

Other notable former residents include: Late composer William Mathias, best known for writing a hymn for Prince Charles and Princess Diana's 1981 wedding; Wales' first archbishop Alfred George Edwards; Female professional golfer Becky Brewerton; ... and Lisa Scott-Lee, vocalist with pop act Steps. To outsiders, St Asaph appears like a place that time forgot, with a high street barely wide enough for two cars to pass and no big chain stores or supermarkets. There is a cattle market every Thursday and, unlike the residents of other cities, locals still know their beat bobby by name. The city’s football team – St Asaph FC – play in the Vale of Clwyd and Conwy Premier League. Their ground, Roe Plas Meadows, is where the council uses a committee room to stage its monthly meetings. Neil Shaw, 47, has worked in the butcher’s shop since he was 12 when he was employed to deliver meat by bicycle. He said: ‘It’s great news for St Asaph. We were all brought up to believe we were a city, but now we are one for real.’ Although small, St Asaph has several claims to fame.

Explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley – who is said to have uttered the immortal words ‘Dr Livingstone, I presume’ – spent his childhood years in its workhouse before moving to America. Other famous former residents include ex-Liverpool footballer Ian Rush and pop singer Lisa Scott-Lee from Steps. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the three former towns had won from an ‘exceptional’ field of entrants, which included Bolton, Doncaster and Reading. The awards were made by the Queen on the advice of Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, following a competition to bid for civic honours launched in December 2010 ‘I have been moved by the pride and passion which people have shown in putting their nominations forward,’ he said. There are currently 66 cities in the UK. City status is rarely granted, with only 14 new cities created during the 20th century. St Asaph is not the smallest city in Britain. That accolade belongs to St Davids in Pembrokeshire, West Wales – population 1,700. Happy in Chelmsford Essex has never had a city before...

so Chelmsford must be chuffed after finally getting the status it has fought for over 25 years. The leader of the Conservative-run council in Chelmsford, Roy Whitehead, said it was a great honour. 'The city of Chelmsford sounds a lot better than the town of Chelmsford, so if we're going to get investment, we'll be better off as a city,' he told the BBC. To mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Chelmsford in Essex has been awarded city status THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT CHELMSFORD Britain’s first public radio broadcast was made from Chelmsford on June 15, 1920. Sponsored by the Daily Mail, the Marconi organisation did this from its New Street plant. It featured the singing of Australian opera diva Dame Nellie Melba. Some historians claim Robert the Bruce was born at Montpelier’s Farm in Writtle near Chelmsford, in 1274. It's the home of Essex County Cricket Club.

Chelmsford FC ('Up the clarets, wheel 'em in!'), established in 1878, was renamed Chelmsford City FC in 1938... even though it would be another 74 years until it achieved that status. 'I am delighted that after almost 25 years of trying, the town of Chelmsford has been honoured by Her Majesty The Queen. 'It has always surprised me that Essex does not have a city within its boundaries. It is a tremendous honour for the town and will bring considerable joy to the local community.' Civic leaders in Medway in Kent were magnanimous in defeat. Medway Council leader Rodney Chambers said their losing bid showed the area has come a long way since the 1980s. 'I would like to congratulate the three towns that have today gained city status,' he said. 'While we were, of course, hoping Medway would gain city status, we believe the bid created a huge amount of national publicity and this has helped raise our profile and show people how much this area has to offer.' He added: 'The Medway of today is a thriving area, with a large population and regeneration continuing apace.

'We know Medway's journey continues, but it is definitely heading in the right direction.' 'Perth has had its dignity restored' The Provost of Perth today claimed that city status had 'restored its dignity'. Perth Provost Dr John Hulbert said the success opened a 'glorious new chapter' for Perth, after the ancient Scottish capital was stripped of its city status in 1975 as part of a local government shake-up. Perth, which celebrated its 800th anniversary last year, was an 'ecclesiastical city' because it had a cathedral but was legally considered a town. Perth has today become classed as a city, opening a 'glorious new chapter' Dr Hulbert said: 'I am delighted that official city status has been restored to Perth. Everyone in the council shares my excitement at the prospect of a glorious new chapter in Perth's long history. 'The City and Royal Burgh of Perth was the capital of Scotland from the 9th century until 1437, and then officially the Second City of Scotland until 1975.

'Even though city status was summarily removed when local government was reorganised, Perth has continued to be known as the "Fair City". Full restoration of its ancient dignity is long overdue. 'This decision reflects the fact that Perth is at the forefront of Scottish life: a modern, dynamic, international city, offering unrivalled business, artistic, educational, cultural and sporting opportunities to its citizens and visitors. 'It is located at the hub of Scotland's transport network, at the gateway to the Highlands, and in the midst of remarkable scenery. 'Perth has many royal connections, and is the home of the Black Watch, the Army's most famous infantry battalion. 'It is the home of home-grown multi-national firms such as Scottish & Southern Electricity and Stagecoach, and is an important centre for Aviva and Famous Grouse. 'It is a city that I am proud to serve.' Dr Hulbert thanked those who had supported the campaign, including the leaders of all the political parties in Scotland and the Lord Provosts and Provosts of the six existing cities of Scotland, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Stirling.

Councillor Ian Miller, Leader of the SNP Group on Perth & Kinross Council, said city status would have 'significant and lasting benefits' for the economy across Perth and Kinross, particularly through membership of the Scottish Government's now 'Seven Cities Alliance', which grants access to seed-corn funding for inter-city region project development. Cllr Alexander Stewart, leader of the Conservative Group, added: 'Many people believe that Perth is already a city but back in 1975 Perth was stripped of the right to be called a city. 'Today, that wrong has been righted and Perth has been given back the status it rightly deserves, and that status will open the door to so many opportunities in the future.' Perth and Kinross Council launched a claim for formal city status in 2005 after a search of its archives uncovered the 'Golden Charter' of 1600 to back its claim.

Place:Chelmsford, Essex, England - Genealogy Place:Chelmsford, Essex, England source: Times Atlas of World History (1993) p 339 Celmeresfort source: Domesday Book (1985) p 101 Type district municipality of which it became a part in 1974 Contents source: Family History Library Catalog the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia Chelmsford is the principal settlement of the City of Chelmsford and the county town of Essex , in the East of England. It is located in the London commuter belt , approximately northeast of Charing Cross , London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester . The urban area of the city has a population of approximately 110,000, whilst the district has a population of 168,310,. The communities of Chelmsford, Massachusetts , Chelmsford, Ontario , and Chelmsford, New Brunswick , are named after the city.

Chelmsford's population consists of a large number of City and Docklands commuters, attracted by the 30–35 minute journey from Central London via the Great Eastern Main Line . The same journey takes approximately 60 minutes by road via the A12 . On 14 March 2012, chairman of the Privy Council and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced that Chelmsford, along with Perth , Scotland and St Asaph , Wales, was to be granted city status. The Letters Patent officially granting city status to Chelmsford from The Queen was received on 6 June 2012. The demonym for a Chelmsford resident is "Chelmsfordian". [ edit ] Early history In 1199, following the commissioning of a bridge over the River Can by Maurice, Bishop of London , William of Sainte-Mère-Eglise was granted a Royal Charter for Chelmsford to hold a market, marking the origin of the modern town. An under-cover market, operating Tuesday to Saturday, is still an important part of the city centre over 800 years later.

The city's name is derived from Ceolmaer's ford which was close to the site of the present High Street stone bridge. In the Domesday Book of 1086 the town was called Celmeresfort and by 1189 it had changed to Chelmsford. Its position on the Londinium – Camulodonum Roman road (the modern A12 ) ensured the early prosperity of Chelmsford; in the first decade of the 12th century its population had grown to several hundred, which was large for its time. Before 1199, there were settlements nearby from ancient times. A Neolithic and a late Bronze Age settlement have been found in the Springfield suburb, and the town was occupied by the Romans . A Roman fort was built in AD 60, and a civilian town grew up around it. The town was given the name of Caesaromagus' (the market place of Caesar), although the reason for it being given the great honour of bearing the Imperial prefix is now unclear – possibly as a failed 'planned town' provincial capital to replace Londinium or Camulodunum .

The remains of a mansio , a combination post office, civic centre and hotel, lie beneath the streets of modern Moulsham , and the ruins of an octagonal temple are located beneath the Odeon roundabout. The town disappeared for a while after the Romans left Britain. The town became the seat of the local assize during the early 13th century (though assizes were also held at Brentwood ) and by 1218 was recognised as the county town of Essex, a position it has retained to the present day. Chelmsford was significantly involved in the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and Richard II moved on to the town after quelling the rebellion in London. 'The Sleepers and The Shadows', written by Hilda Grieve in 1988 using original sources, states: "For nearly a week, from Monday 1st July to Saturday 6th July [1381], Chelmsford became the seat of government ... The king probably lodged at his nearby manor house at Writtle. He was attended by his council, headed by the temporary Chancellor ... the new chief justice ... the royal chancery ...

Their formidable task in Chelmsford was to draft, engross, date, seal and despatch by messengers riding to the farthest corners of the realm, the daily batches of commissions, mandates, letters, orders and proclamations issued by the government not only to speed the process of pacification of the kingdom, but to conduct much ordinary day to day business of the Crown and Government." Richard II famously revoked the charters which he had made in concession to the peasants on 2 July 1381, while in Chelmsford. It could be said that given this movement of government power, Chelmsford for a few days at least became the capital of England. Many of the ringleaders of the revolt were executed on the gallows at what is now Primrose Hill. An important Anglo-Saxon burial was discovered at Broomfield to the north of Chelmsford in the late 19th century and the finds are now in the British Museum . The road 'Saxon Way' now marks the site.

In the 17th century many of the victims of Matthew Hopkins (the self-styled "Witchfinder General") spent their last days imprisoned in Chelmsford, before being tried at the Assizes and hanged for witchcraft . Henry VIII purchased the Boleyn estate in 1516, and built Beaulieu Palace on the current site of New Hall School . This later became the residence of his then mistress, and later wife Ann. Soon after it became the residence of Henry's daughter, by his first marriage, Mary I . King Robert I of Scotland , better known as Robert the Bruce , had close ties with the nearby village of Writtle and there is some evidence to suggest he was born at Montpeliers Farm in the village, but the story is disputed and possibly conflated with his father, Robert de Brus, 6th Lord of Annandale . [ edit ] World War II During World War II Chelmsford, an important centre of light engineering war production, was attacked from the air on several occasions, both by aircraft of the Luftwaffe and by missile.

The worst single loss of life took place on Tuesday 19 December 1944, when the 367th Vergeltungswaffe 2 or V2 rocket to hit England fell on a residential street (Henry Road) near the Hoffmans ball bearing factory and not far from the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company factory in New Street which may also have been the target. (Hoffmans ball bearing factory was key to the war effort, supplying bearings for countless applications. This obviously made it a key target) Thirty-nine people were killed and 138 injured, 47 seriously. Several dwellings in Henry Road were completely destroyed, and many in nearby streets were badly damaged. A recently restored monument to the dead is in the city cemetery in Writtle Road. On 13 May 1943 Luftwaffe bombing raids hit Chelmsford leaving more than 50 people dead and making nearly 1,000 residents homeless. The bombs on this night were dropped mainly in the town centre, Springfield and Moulsham .

The GHQ Line part of the British hardened field defences of World War II runs directly through Chelmsford with many pillboxes still in existence to the north and south of the city. Hylands Park , the site of the annual V festival , then hosted a Prisoner of war camp, and from 1944 was the headquarters of the Special Air Service (SAS). [ edit ] Recent history Since the 1980s Chelmsford has suffered from a decline in its defence-related industries, most notably The Marconi Company with all of its factories either being closed or sold. The site on West Hanningfield Road was sold to BAE; the Waterhouse Lane site sold to E2V and the New Street site is undergoing major redevelopment for residential/mixed use. However, the city's location close to London and at the centre of Essex has helped it grow in importance as an administrative and distribution centre. The one-time largest employer in Chelmsford, RHP, the former Hoffman ball bearing manufacturing company, closed its New Street/Rectory Lane site in 1989.

Some of the factory remains and have been converted into luxury apartments and a health club although most of the site was demolished to make way for the Rivermead Campus of the Anglia Ruskin University . Beaulieu Park, The Village and Chancellor Park are some of the most recent large-scale housing developments built in the city to complement earlier developments such as Chelmer Village which was built throughout the 1980s. In 2007, the Channel 4 programme " Location, Location, Location " voted Chelmsford as the 8th best place to live in the UK. This page uses content from the English Wikipedia . The original content was at Chelmsford . The list of authors can be seen in the page history . As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License . Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign | Working to keep Chelmsford as a Fairtrade City Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign Working to keep Chelmsford as a Fairtrade City Search: Uncategorized Home The people of Chelmsford were awarded their Fairtrade certificate on 6 January 2005. Since then it has been renewed regularly.

We can all be extremely proud of this achievement and the Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign would like to place on record its thanks to all those organisations, companies, faith groups trade unions and employers, individuals and the Borough Council for making it possible. Without their commitment and support it simply could not have happened. We can also take pride in the fact that Chelmsford was the first town in Essex and only the third in the Eastern region to be awarded Fairtrade status. In 2012 we became a Fairtrade City. However, we have to work hard to retain our new status, which means encouraging many more groups, and companies to lend their support. We hope you will play your part in our campaign and please make sure that Fairtrade posters are displayed in every locality where Fairtrade is being used or sold. 6 Responses to Home November 25, 2011 at 2:46 pm Hi, I am a teacher at a Secondary school in Chelmsford and am really interested in trying to persuade our Management team that we should bcome a Fairtrade school. However, I am hitting some walls with the Catering team, in that they are saying it is just too expensive to implement in a Secondary school.

I was wondering if you had an experience of implementing this on a large school, such as in a Secondary school, and whether you had some more information about suppliers and prices? Many thanks November 25, 2011 at 3:08 pm Thanks for the question Sadie. First of all Essex County Council supports Fairtrade, that should be helpful. It is not correct to say that Fairtrade is more expensive. In some cases it may be but sometimes it is cheaper. Check their wholesale price list. Quite a number of catering contractors also use several Fairtrade products for use in hospitals, staff restaurants etc. In any case, there is a principal to be considered. If the standard product is cheaper it could be that the growers are not getting a good price for their products. The profit could be going elsewhere. With Fairtrade the growers are guaranteed a good deal. Have a look at the Fairtrade website for some information on products and suppliers. Locally, Bookers stock some Fairtrade products too. Another step you might like to take is to ask the staff to have a Fairtrade beverage club for their refreshments during breaks. Then, you should consider becoming a Fairtrade School.

You can find out how to do this on the Fairtrade Foundation’s website . You might like to have a talk with Thriftwood School as it was the first school in Essex to become a Fairtrade School. Some other schools in Chelmsford are also working towards Fairtrade status. Please keep us informed of progress and don’t forget Fairtrade Fortnight is taking place from 27 February – 11 March 2012. March 1, 2013 at 9:55 am How right you are. Chelmsford did call a meeting of all the Fairtrade groups in Essex and we did have a couple of useful meetings. Unfortunately, we had difficulty in getting a room for the third meeting and a very heavy workload overtook us.The contacts for the Essex sites are elsewhere on the website and they are all doing a great job. We are still keen to make Essex a fairtrade County but we do need more local groups in those parts of the county that still have to get Fairtrade status, Malcolm Wallace, Chelmsford City Fairtrade Campaign. Thank you, you’ve cleared that up for me!

WickfordFairtradeSupporter July 25, 2013 at 6:16 pm Hello! A few of us here in Wickford want to start a Fairtrade group to try and get our town Fairtrade status, but we have a few questions. First of all, do we have to register with the Foundation to become a Fairtrade campaign group or not? Secondly, who should we get to come to our first meeting, what sort of issues should we deal with immediately, and do you have any ideas on getting the word out to everyone in town about the campaign group and how to join up? Thank you in advance Diamond Jubilee: Chelmsford to become city - BBC News BBC News Diamond Jubilee: Chelmsford to become city 14 March 2012 Close share panel Chelmsford has been awarded city status as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Chelmsford's MP Simon Burns said he was delighted the town would become the first city in Essex. The leader of the Conservative-run council, Roy Whitehead, said it was a tremendous honour for the town.

"The 'city of Chelmsford' sounds a lot better than the 'town of Chelmsford', so if we're going to get investment we'll be better off as a city," he said. "It is a tremendous honour for the town and will bring considerable joy to the local community. "I would like to congratulate everyone at Chelmsford Borough Council and elsewhere who worked so hard and put such a compelling bid together, which has led to this honour for our community." Chelmsford's Mayor Robert Shepherd said: "This is very welcome news for Chelmsford and everybody who lives and works within the city. "We are delighted that Chelmsford has been honoured in this most important of years and also that Essex has at last been recognised as the vibrant and successful county that it has become.

"On behalf of everyone in Chelmsford we would like to thank Her Majesty for this great honour in her Diamond Jubilee year." CHELMSFORD FACTS The Norman town of Chelmsford was founded in 1199 Marconi established the first wireless factory in the town's Hall Street in 1899 It is the joint home to the V Festival, along with Staffordshire In 2011 Chelmsford Cathedral became Grade I listed The town has a population of nearly 160,000 Chelmsford Borough Council leader Roy Whitehead said: "I particularly wish to pay tribute to the council officers who put together our bid. "The whole process was produced by highly-talented young people at minimal cost - in these times of austerity it would have been wrong to spend large sums of public money." 'In public eye' David Burch, policy manager at Essex Chambers of Commerce, said they were "absolutely delighted". "It puts Chelmsford and Essex on the map," he said. "It reinforces the message that Chelmsford and Essex are good for business.

"It will bring Chelmsford more into the public eye and help attract inward investment." He said he thought the town had won because it was "already very vibrant place attracting a lot of businesses". Chelmsford City Football Club chairman, Mansell Wallace, also welcomed the city news. He added: "I don't know what all the fuss is about... we've been a city since 1938, haven't we? "It was always a bone of contention in opposition board rooms why we were called Chelmsford City and we had no real right of reply, now we have. We're proud to represent Chelmsford and congratulate Chelmsford Borough Council on their successful bid." The club was given its name during its formation in The Fleece public house in Duke Street 74 years ago, when the founders stepped outside the front door to be greeted by the cathedral. They named the club Chelmsford City under a misapprehension that the county town was a city. Chelmsford College principal David Law said: "It is tremendous news for Chelmsford. It will turn peoples' attention and focus on the place and change peoples' perceptions of Chelmsford. It's very positive.

I'm tremendously excited." The Cabinet Office would not say how it reached its decision about how to award City Status. But in 2010, when it launched the competition, it said that among the things it would consider would be the history of a town, its vibrancy, identity and community. A spokesman said a team of officials assessed the various bids but the final recommendation to the Queen was made by the deputy prime minister. Does Chelmsford really deserve its new city status? | Daily Mail Online comments Yesterday, I had the misfortune to be absent from my home town. Therefore, I could not join in the cheers, or the popping of champagne corks, at the news that Chelmsford is one of the three new cities created to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Like all Chelmsfordians, I feel my breast swell with pride at the thought that this humble Essex town in which I was born, where I went to school, and from which I still catch the train to London every day is now a city. It also means that the local Blue Square League South soccer club, Chelmsford City — The Clarets — no longer violates the Trade Descriptions Act.

Accolade: Chelmsford is to be awarded city status To think that the old place can stand with Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and other heaving, vibrant, buzzing metropolises across our nation should be really rather a thrill. In truth, though, I am a little, well, bemused by it. I congratulate those who ran the campaign for the honour (though I must admit it completely passed me by), and I hope they are basking in their success. But, to be honest, I can’t quite see why Chelmsford got lucky. It has not had a good press. Indeed, it has hardly had any press at all. For much of its existence it has succeeded in being almost entirely anonymous. John Betjeman, who rather liked Essex, described its landscape as ‘sweet, uneventful countryside’. And Chelmsford has, for much of the past 2,000 years, been a textbook example of uneventfulness, sweet or otherwise. Charles Dickens passed through in 1835 — it was just before the railway removed the necessity for an overnight stop on the way from London to Ipswich and Norwich.

Dickens made a point of coming before he was famous: I have been unable to find any record of his returning as one of the greatest celebrities in the world. Uninspiring: Charles Dickens called Chelmsford, which hosts the annual V Festival (left) 'the dullest and most stupid spot on the face of the earth' However, this is not surprising, when one reads what he wrote to a friend from there. ‘If anyone were to ask me what in my opinion was the dullest and most stupid spot on the face of the Earth, I should decidedly say Chelmsford.’ Some would argue — perhaps unfairly — that things have got worse since then. It is not that Chelmsford is squalid or decaying — far from it. It is affluent, clean, and (with the exception of the apparently obligatory Friday night roarings and vomitings by Essex men whose income exceeds their tolerance of alcohol) remarkably orderly. Nor is it particularly stupid — despite the image conveyed by the TV reality show The Only Way Is Essex.

It boasts two of the best grammar schools in England (I must declare an interest: I attended one of them) and seems to have a production line of smart, intelligent, young people determined to make their way in the world and be a credit to our country. Academic success: Chelmsford boasts two of the best grammar schools in the country: King Edward VI Grammar School and Chelmsford County High School for Girls (pictured) The place got on the map in the first century AD, when the Romans decided to beat up the local tribe of ancient Britons, the Iceni. They founded a settlement called Caesaromagus as a staging post between London and Colchester, and — their most poisonous legacy by far — linked these places with the suicidally dangerous and overcrowded road now known as the A12. Having built the A12, the Romans proceeded for several years to chase Queen Boadicea up and down it. Three points were thus made about Chelmsford that hold good today: the no-nonsense nature of the Essex girl, the thrill of the boy racer and a healthy distrust of external cultural influences.

After Boadicea and her tribe had been dispensed with, the town lapsed into 1,900 years of solid boredom. It was rich enough by the late Middle Ages, though, to build a decent church. Much of that, however, fell down in 1801, causing the first serious excitement in the town in the Christian era. The ruins were rebuilt and it became a cathedral in 1913. It may not be Canterbury or York, but it provided an entry for the guidebooks. Out on the town: Chelmsford has its fair share of night spots where locals can knock back a few drinks after a hard week One for the guidebooks: Chelmsford Cathedral However, only a mother could really love Chelmsford, even if we who are its sons feel a native’s fondness for it. I feel my lifetime has coincided with the obliteration of almost all that was distinguished, notable or remarkable about the place. It was put on the map in 1920 when the first wireless broadcast was made from Guglielmo Marconi’s factory in New Street.

RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Marconi’s eventual collapse 13 years ago was just one of Chelmsford’s many light engineering businesses to go under. What used to be ball bearing or electrical factories are now yuppie flats or gymnasiums. In a world where everything is made by the Chinese, a country unaffected by health and safety regulations and where trades unions do as they are told, towns all over England, like Chelmsford, became a mixture of dormitories and retail outlets. But even retailing is now suffering, because of the internet. Death of industry: Chelmsford's small factories have been replaced with flats or gymnasiums When I was a child, Chelmsford did at least have some half-distinguished buildings that might, now, lend themselves to the idea of a city: but most of them, including a street of pleasant Georgian shops and houses and a solid Victorian Corn Exchange, were pulled down in 1970 to make way for a hideous shopping centre.

The rise of the Essex Girl: We are not a stupid bunch, despite the image conveyed by the The Only Way Is Essex The most notable architectural monument that replaced them — a brutalist multi-storey car park radiating all the subtlety of a torpedo — regrettably still stands. Cities are supposed to have a ‘vibrant’ cultural life, and, indeed, Wikipedia, in its entry on Chelmsford, says the town — sorry, I must get used to saying city — boasts just that. It seems to consist of nightclubs, bars and restaurants, which I suppose is a start. However, we await the trappings of other cities, and perhaps in time they will come. The City of Chelmsford Symphony Orchestra would be rather agreeable, perhaps with its own Symphony Hall built on the site of the next shopping mall or factory (I believe there are one or two left) to go out of business. Perhaps I will live long enough to see Opera East established in the city’s as yet unbuilt opera house — I presume there are plans.

Chelmsford has a county cricket ground — in the news most recently, sadly, as the scene of a match-fixing incident for which a former cricketer is now serving a prison sentence — but The Clarets must raise their game to get into the Premiership. What next? Michelin-starred restaurants? An opera house? The charming little town museum awaits its transformation into a municipal art gallery, of the sort most cities have. And from its present position at 91st in the league table, the town’s Anglia Ruskin University can aspire, like most city universities, to join the Russell Group (which represents Britain’s 20 finest). Perhaps Michelin-starred restaurants will soon litter the banks of the Chelmer and Blackwater canal. Perhaps great international institutions will relocate their headquarters to some of the endless new office blocks that litter the Chelmsford landscape, and which make parts of it seem like a caricature of Slough. But most of all, perhaps this leap in Chelmsford’s status will help undo one of the greatest wrongs done to the place in its long and eventless history, and about which locals still seethe.

A dozen or so years ago, a branch of Waitrose opened in the town. The middle classes — with which Chelmsford abounds — rejoiced. At last, civilisation had come. But it closed after just two years. Canny Chelmsfordians were not prepared to pay luxury prices for their grub. It was as if night had fallen, permanently. The granting of city status is one in the eye for Waitrose, as for all Chelmsford’s critics. And the day the store re-opens, I at least will concede that it was not preposterous to make it a city after all.

Question: In 2012 , which town became the first in Essex to be granted city status ?
Answer: CHELMSFORD