Preston was officially granted city status by the Queen in 2002 by virtue of winning the Golden City contest.
The competition was part of the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations marking Her Majesty's 50th year on the throne.
Preston became England's 50th city by seeing off competition from 26 English applicants including Blackburn.
The Preston challenge team based its bid on its heritage, the university and because it is the traditional administrative centre of Lancashire.
The assessors for the Golden City status examined notable features, with significance regionally and/or nationally, historical features including royal ones and a forward looking attitude.
"Proud Preston" certainly has rich heritage with royal connections. The ancient market town secured a royal charter in 1179 permitting Preston to hold guild celebrations. The first celebration of the Preston Guild was held back in 1397 and they are now held every twenty years.
The Harris Museum and Art Gallery, designed by Preston's James Hibbert
Preston has been at the centre of commerce in the county for centuries, and was a centre of industry in the 19th Century when the heart was rebuilt as a classic Victorian town.
It boasts more than 750 listed buildings including the Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston Guild Hall, Lancashire Museum and St Walburge's Church which are all Grade I listed buildings.
The obelisk, located in the flag market, was originally installed for the 1782 Guild and provided the first public gas lighting anywhere outside of London in 1816. Although it was removed in 1852, it was re-installed in 1979. The Queen unveiled the obelisk as part of the 800th anniversary celebrations of Preston Guild.
Preston is also home to the National Football Museum which is fitting as Preston North End were the founder member of the football league and in 1888 the first team ever to win the League and FA Cup double.
PRESTON FACTFILE
It was first documented in the Domesday Book 1086
Preston has a population of 131,900
Originally, it was known as Priest Town after monks settled on riverside hill of present day town centre
Famous Prestonians include Sir Richard Arkwright, whose inventions such as the spinning jenny were a catalyst for the Industrial Revolution, footballer Sir Tom Finney, the creator of Wallace and Gromit Nick Park and cricketer Andrew Flintoff
It has had its share of royal visits with three significant ones in addition to the Queen's appearance in 1979. The Old Pretender was proclaimed King James III in 1715 in the marketplace and in 1913 King George V and Queen Mary broke with protocol and performed the first royal walkabout in Preston as well as Her Majesty the Queen's visit in 2002 to crown it a city.
Preston is home to the University of Central Lancashire, one of the largest universities in England, with over 32,000 students.
See Lancashire Blue Badge Guide Melvyn Dod's article on the
History of Preston
for a more information on the city's heritage.
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