A QUICK glance at the Today in History section beneath this column will tell you that today is the anniversary of Charles II's flight to France following his defeat by Cromwell at Worcester.

This anniversary is just one of many in which the city's pivotal role in the history of the nation can be seen.

For us, this embodies one aspect of that most slippery of concepts - Pride in Worcester.

In recent weeks, there has been much talk of a Worcester renaissance. UCW's exciting plans for the former Worcester Royal Infirmary Castle Street site, the transformation of Lowesmoor and the reinvention of Diglis Basin as an area for fashionable quayside living are just three of the projects being put forward.

But, for us, Pride in Worcester is not just about looking ahead - it is also about respecting our past.

This is why we are backing moves by the newly-formed Worcester Heritage and Amenity Trust to reopen the much-missed Museum of Local Life.

The Friar Street museum has been mothballed since April and now moves are afoot not just to reopen its doors, but also to add a new lecture theatre.

There has been a void in the city since its closure, as the museum was about - and for - the people of the Faithful City.

The fate of this plan, in the words of Worcester farmer and businessman John Bennett, lies in how many people come forward to help.

We hope that Worcester people will seize this opportunity and help in the process of restoring some Pride in Worcester.