Blue plaque attack
Have you read that English Heritage are stopping it with the Blue Plaques in London, due to funding cuts? What do you think about that? I had mixed feelings about them. The breadth of people commemorated is to be applauded, but the sulky schoolchild in me often thought… ‘Who?’ I enjoyed the artist Gavin Turk’s creation of one to himself, as it pointed up the solemnity and pomposity of the decision-making process. But…
Of course, when it’s a place or person I’m interested in, I find spotting a blue plaque educational, reassuring, moving. They point out that extraordinary works of creativity, ingenuity, ambition were being undertaken in an unassuming terraced house near your local pub. English Heritage’s website has a postcode search that lets you find plaques in your neighbourhood. And the favourite local one of mine? Boris Karloff in Peckham Rye, of course.
It’s worth adding that other areas operate their own schemes, and presumably their own criteria. The one above is on a pub in Margate, and it always amuses me. It says, “Eric Morecambe, comic, held his wedding reception here.” Perfect.
Happy new year, I’m with you, I think it’s a shame they are ceasing to do this. I’ve always enjoyed knowing the history of particular places. Lets hope it doesn’t start a new trend in personalised blue plaques now the official ones are no longer. That would be a travesty.
How about commissioning one to commemorate the birthplace of Myfriendshouse? Would it be your house or hers? Carry on blogging, it’s so enjoyable.
I regularly walk past this plaque in my little sleepy kentish town; http://openplaques.org/plaques/2079 – and I always think ‘bloody hell, after all that I think I’d want a nice quiet life too’.
That is a treat. I think I like the non-standard plaques the best, where there is space to tell a story. And what a story…