SO the bidding is over and Warrington failed to be shortlisted for City of Culture.

No doubt all the whingers and moaners will be out saying what a waste of money and what a waste of time.

For me, the only sadness is that Warrington was not selected.

Surely helping to transform a town (yes towns and cities can bid – Paisley made the shortlist and is not a city) is exactly the point of competitions like this?

Warrington has a good deal of culture already but this could have helped us get more.

Now our leaders need to show real ambition.

I don’t really care if we bid again or not.

I just care that we are serious about culture and start investing in it properly and seriously.

Let’s see more concerts in town, let’s see a theatre, let’s keep our families in town at weekends rather than Manchester or Liverpool.

Warrington is a great place to work and do business – all the stats in the Guardian show that.

Let’s make it a great place to live as well.

JAMES WILSON Orford