Tamworth up for two awards in Midlands-wide arts competition

Tamworth Borough Council has been shortlisted for another two top awards in a Midlands-wide competition recognising the best of the best in arts and entertainment – and your votes are now needed to bring the titles home.

Both Tamworth Castle and the town’s annual St George’s Day event have been shortlisted for honours in the 2017 What’s On Readers’ Awards after being nominated by readers of the arts and entertainment guide.

Tamworth Castle has made it to the final line-up in the Best Staffordshire Visitor Attraction category among some of the UK’s top tourist destinations. It will be competing for the title against Alton Towers, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Lichfield Cathedral, the Monkey Forest and the National Memorial Arboretum. The annual free St George’s Day event, organised by Tamworth Borough Council’s Arts & Events team, attracts thousands of people to Tamworth Castle Grounds each year for a day of fun activities for the whole family. It has been shortlisted for Best Staffordshire Event and will be competing against Lichfield Lumiere, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park, Scarefest at Alton Towers and The Enchanted Chandelier at Central Forest Park.

Tamworth has another two nominees vying for top titles with Christopher’s Bistro shortlisted for Best Independent Restaurant in South Staffordshire and Kuda hoping to secure the title of Best Staffordshire Nightclub.

More than 10,000 votes were cast to determine the county and regional finalists and winners will now be decided through online voting by members of the public, which is open until February 28.

Last year Tamworth was highly commended in two categories with Tamworth Assembly Rooms (Best Regional Music Venue) and the outdoor community production of Tigress (Dance: Best Production), but it is hoped the town can build on that this year with the help of residents and visitors.

Cllr Joy Goodall, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Environment & Culture, said: “To be shortlisted in this Midlands-wide competition, against some of the top tourist attractions in the country, is fantastic. Tamworth Castle has just been voted the Best Small Visitor Attraction in Staffordshire in the 2016 NFU Mutual Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism Awards and it would be amazing if we could follow that with this readers’ award.

“The shortlisting is another testament to the hardworking and dedicated team which strives to make the Tamworth Castle visitor experience the best it can be.

“We are also delighted to be shortlisted for our St George’s Day event. The Arts & Events team puts so much hard work and effort into pulling the festival together and it has quickly become one of the most popular events on our calendar, drawing thousands of visitors. It’s a real sign of success that it has been recognised on a regional scale.

“These awards should serve to attract even more visitors to the town and we hope that anyone who has visited the Castle, or enjoyed the St George’s Day fun, takes a few minutes to go online and cast their votes.”