East Lothian showcased in UK Town of Culture postcard exhibit

Postcards promoting Dunbar, Haddington and North Berwick are among nearly 400 entries showcased at the National Museums Liverpool as part of the inaugural competition.

The three towns have all entered the national competition, run by the Department of Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS), which comes with a £3 million prize.

To celebrate the submissions, every bidding town was invited to design a postcard to champion its case which can be viewed online.

The community councils in the three county towns have confirmed that it could be the end of July before an announcement is made.

The competition is split into three categories: small town (under 20,000 people), medium town (20,000 to 75,000 people) and large town (with a population of more than 75,000 people).

A winner will be crowned in each category, with two runners-up receiving £250,000 and the overall winner receiving £3 million and being named the UK Town of Culture.

Haddington's tagline for the bid is 'Open hearts, open minds, open to the world.' (Image: Haddington CC)

Lisa Nandy MP, Culture Secretary, and Sir Phil Redmond, chair of the independent panel judging the bids, visited the museum to see the display ahead of the shortlist for the competition.

It marks a return to the city which secured the title of European Capital of Culture in 2008 and was the catalyst for the introduction of the UK’s own City of Culture competition.

Dunbar’s application leads on its creative energy - from stone stacks and land art on the coast to open studios, music-filled venues and handcrafted winter lights on the High Street (Image: Dunbar Community Council)

Lisa Nandy said: “For far too long, towns across the UK have felt left out of our national story.

“Today, we celebrate the local pride that has always existed in towns around the country within this amazing display of postcards from bidding towns. 

“Through UK Town of Culture, I wanted to shine a light on our amazing towns all across the UK and the huge contribution they make to our national life.

North Berwick (Image: North Berwick Community Council)

"That contribution is clear to see today and I hope each and every town is incredibly proud of the work they have done to champion their community in the competition.” 

The postcards will remain within the National Museums Liverpool’s national collection.