Friday 20 May 2022 12:52 PM Eight towns boosted to cities for Queen's Jubilee... amid fury as Reading ... trends now
The announcement that the likes of Milton Keynes, Doncaster and Douglas on the Isle of Man are to be given city status by the Queen has prompted confusion, with social media raging over an apparent snub of Reading.
It was announced earlier today that eight towns are to become cities as Her Majesty dishes out the honour as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Included in this is Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, which has become the first Overseas Territory to succeed in being given city status.
Bangor in Northern Ireland, Colchester, Dunfermline in Scotland and Wrexham in Wales have also been given the title.
The inclusion of some of these towns, which were among 39 to apply, has left people surprised, especially given some of the places to miss out which include the likes of Reading and Middlesbrough.
Port Stanley in the Falklands Islands is the first Overseas Territory to win the competition for city status, while Douglas on the Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man has also claimed the civic honour
Milton Keynes is one of eight towns that are set to be made cities after being granted city status by the Queen. Pictured is Campbell Park in the town
Her Majesty has granted the honour as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Pictured is Dunfermline, another of the towns given city status
Middlesbrough was one of the towns to miss out, much to the disappointment of some. Pictured here is the River Tee running through the town
There was fury online as news filtered through that Reading, which has now applied for city status four times, has missed out. Pictured is an aerial view of Reading town centre
The snub of Reading, which has now applied four times for city status and has a population of nearly 350,000 people, prompted fury on social media.
The town had previously submitted bids in 2000, 2002 and 2012, with its latest application this year unsuccessful.
Stephen Bush joked on Twitter that Reading seems destined to remain a town for the ages.
He wrote: 'The year is 2100. The UK's three remaining small villages are given "city status". The UK's only remaining town is still, inexplicably, Reading.'
News that Reading has been snubbed for city status again did not go down well on social media
Rafe Uddin responded be likening to the town to the village inhabited by Gauls in the Asterix comics, known for holding out against the Roman Conquest.
'One small village still holds out against city status' he wrote, posting a picture off the famous map from the comic book.
Adrian Bradley said: 'One day every town in the UK will be a city. Except Reading. NEVER READING.'
Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West, wrote: 'Disappointed that Reading's bid for city status was unsuccessful.
'But this doesn't change the fact that my home town is a vibrant place to live and work with much to offer, including as an economic powerhouse.
'The Crossrail connection to Reading underlines our growing importance.'
However, some people agreed with the decision not to grant the town city status, with one person saying it was a 'train junction, not a city'
However, not everyone was upset, with @twlldun saying: 'Reading is a train junction, not a city.'
Peter West added: 'Unsurprised that Reading missed out on City status (again) now that it's officially a suburb of London.'
Others said it was odd that Milton Keynes was given city status, while some were left complaining about the choice of Dunfermline over the likes of Middlesbrough.
The decision to choose Dunfermline and Milton Keynes over towns such as Middlesbrough proved controversial
Josh Barrie wrote: 'Milton Keynes is a roundabout. Why has a roundabout been awarded city status?'
@TunnockCup joked: 'Calling Dunfermline a city is the thin end of the wedge. They'll be giving city status to dumps like Perth next.'
Allan Kennedy said: 'So that's Inverness, Stirling, Perth and now Dunfermline that have become cities in the last 22 years. And only one of them deserved it.'
Leon Wobschall said: 'Middlesbrough has a cathedral, university, port, nearby airport and is a regional centre. But it still isn't a city...'
Becoming a city does not grant a town any extra rights, but it is thought to grant a place more prestige and increase the number of visitors.
The Cabinet Office said Perth, which was granted city status in 2012 as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, has seen its local economy expand by 12% in the decade after it secured its new title.
Ministers worked with an expert panel to make their recommendations from the extensive list before it is handed to the Queen for approval.
The Queen has made Port Stanley a city on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War - as seven more towns across the British Isles are bestowed the high honour to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee
The capital of the Falkland Islands (pictured) is among eight towns to win the coveted city status
Among the stand out names on the list of places granted city status is Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands.
With a population of just over 2,000 people, the honour has been granted on the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War, which ended on June 14, 1982 as Argentinian commander General Mario Menendez surrendered to the British in the town.
The 10-week undeclared conflict began over British dependent territories located in the South Atlantic - the Falklands and associated island dependencies.
The fighting cost the lives of 255 British servicemen, three Falkland Islanders and 655 Argentinian soldiers.
They are some of the places that 'make Britain great', according Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay.
He said: 'What was clear to me during the process of assessing each application was the pride that people felt for their communities, local cultural heritage and the Royal Family.
Pictured: St Georges Church in Doncaster across the canal from the Waterfront with moored up house boats on the canal in front
Wrexham's (pictured) Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is a Unesco World Heritage Site and the region, which is a base for firms including JCB and Kellogg's as well as aerospace giants
