On Tuesday I sat down with Dr Katy Radford, who is soon to take up the role of Programme Director for the Barra Culture project.

The Arts Council has invested almost £2m into this project which will highlight and celebrate the culture of Hindpool, Ormsgill, Central, Barrow Island and Walney in particular.

It’s a great initiative and a real opportunity for the community to sing about Barrow. Often, in surgeries or meetings, I’m struck by Barrovians’ stories about their home town, which are dropped into conversation almost as asides.