 |
|
| Aintree Grand National Meeting 2010 |
Aintree Leads Campaign for Liverpool Bank Holiday
22/02/10
A campaign was launched today to give Liverpool its own official bank holiday. Celebrities, sport stars and city leaders have backed the campaign for the city to have its own public holiday, akin to St Patrick’s Day.
 |
Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have sprung up allowing supporters to back the campaign and a petition is being launched on the 10 Downing Street website calling on the Prime Minister to create a bank holiday to celebrate the city of Liverpool.
The idea was devised by Aintree, organisers of the John Smith’s Grand National meeting, who want to replicate Melbourne Cup Day, in Victoria, Australia, where the state’s residents are given a public holiday to celebrate its world famous horse race.
The campaign will be officially launched on Thursday April 8th when the first day of the Grand National meeting will be renamed Liverpool Day and include a series of events celebrating the city’s culture.
Emma Owen, marketing and PR manager at Aintree racecourse, who created the campaign, said: “The response has been absolutely phenomenal and seems to have really captured the public’s imagination.
“The idea is to get at least 500,000 people to sign up via social networking sites and the online petition and then we will submit a formal application to the government in order to get the day officially recognised.
“The Aussies led the way by designating a public holiday to celebrate the Melbourne Cup and we don’t see any reason Liverpool shouldn’t do the same thing.”
In 2006, the Scots were granted a day off to celebrate St Andrew's Day and there is an ongoing campaign for St George's Day to receive similar treatment in England.
Merseyside celebrity chef Simon Rimmer, star of BBC2 show Something for the Weekend, said: “I’m sure some people from outside Liverpool might have plenty to say about this idea but what other city in the UK, outside London, can honestly say it has such a high profile across the world?
“I think it’s a great idea and reckon if the Scots and Irish can celebrate Haggis and Guinness, why can’t we celebrate good old Scouse? Roll on Liverpool Day.”
Lord Mayor of Liverpool, councillor Mike Storey, said: “I think if any city in the UK deserves its own bank holiday, then it has to be Liverpool. We’ve given the world some of its finest sporting events and sporting moments so what better way to celebrate the greatest horse race in the world than by giving everyone with an L postcode a day when they can pursue sporting thrills – either as a spectator or participant.”
Details of events taking place on Liverpool Day at Aintree on April 8th will be announced next month (March).
Tickets and hospitality for the 2010 John Smith’s Grand National meeting including Liverpool Day can be purchased in advance by visiting www.aintree.co.uk or phone 0844 579 3001. The advance booking office at the racecourse will open on Monday 8th March for racegoers who wish to purchase in person.
