FOLLOWING on from an exciting, crowd-pulling Spider or two, Liverpool can now boast that Capital of Culture year has also lured pop superstar Beyoncé Knowles. No-one could ever possibly claim that the city’s year in the spotlight has been short on variety.

Ever since we learned that Liverpool was to host the MTV Awards, the city has been bristling with anticipation about who might possibly top the bill at the Echo Arena Liverpool, and which other top-ranking acts might be there alongside them.

Now that a pop diva of the calibre of Beyoncé has been confirmed for the November 6 showpiece, it merely confirms that all the excitement and hype about the event’s guest list was completely and utterly justified.

The full list of performers will be confirmed over the next few weeks, but the prospects are promising – other nominees for awards include Britney Spears, Coldplay and Welsh soul sensation Duffy.

A few years ago, the very thought that Liverpool could attract anything like such a star-studded bill would have been greeted with widespread hoots of derision.

Today, confirmation of Beyoncé’s appearance provides clear and unarguable evidence of how Capital of Culture and the Arena itself have helped to transform Liverpool for ever.

And when the event is beamed out to a TV audience of 30m-plus, we can be assured that only good will come of it.

An true icon

THE death of Hollywood legend Paul Newman, at the age of 83, has deprived the world of a true icon of the cinema.

He was never one for the glitz and glamour of the Tinseltown scene, and rarely signed autographs because he found the majesty of doing so offensive.

Contrast that with many of today’s stars, who are far, far better at the glamour bit than they ever were at acting. He will be much missed.