Tower

‘Tower of Now’ by Saad Qureshi (interpretation panel in extra) is one of the flagship pieces of visual art for Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, taking pride of place in the city centre in the rewilded Norfolk Gardens. It’s also the piece that has been most subject to an orchestrated attack by the far right on social media, from those people determined that there shall never be any positive narrative about this city, the ripples of which I regularly catch through overheard conversations on the bus.

Up the road, at Valley Parade, it was the start of the 25/26 football season for Bradford City, back in League One after last season’s promotion. Two goals for a 2-0 lead in the opening ten minutes started things with a bang, but today’s visitors, Wycombe Wanderers, were one of last season’s strongest teams, and they did come back into the game. Wycombe pulled a goal back mid way through the second half, but City were still creating good chances themselves. 2-1 it finished, so a very positive start for City, particularly given seven of the starting eleven were new players. 

Two sides of this City of Culture.