DURHAM’S failure to make it onto the shortlist to become Britain’s first City of Culture is clearly a disappointment.

But the fact that its omission has also come as such a surprise shows how far Durham has come since it launched its ambitious bid for a prize thought to be worth £120m to the local economy.

We must not forget that when Durham first announced it was a runner in the race, it was considered to be a rank outsider – a pony with a big heart competing in the Grand National.

But as the bid developed, confidence gradually began to rise that Durham might just have been in with a shout – only for the city to lose out to Birmingham, Norwich, Sheffield and Derry/Londonderry.

It is how Durham responds to the disappointment that counts now.

For too long, it has been a city of unfulfilled potential and the City of Culture bid has proved to be a valuable exercise despite ultimately falling short in the eyes of the judges.

A new focus has been discovered, lessons learnt, and the importance of placing culture at the heart of Durham’s future finally understood.

There is much to look forward to, including a second Lumiere festival, an Ashes Test, the temporary return of the Lindisfarne Gospels and a new visitor centre for the Durham Castle and Cathedral World Heritage Site.

There will be future opportunities for Durham to bid to be the UK City of Culture and the experience of the past year will stand it in good stead.

But it will only succeed if the cultural momentum continues.

The show must go on.