Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Heritage plaques
Heritage; why do we hide it?
This town has a lot to be proud about, it has some history, and it has produced some great figures who have made a telling contribution in their lives. However, I feel that sometimes in our pursuit of tourism and it's obvious benefits, we forget the small details that can make a great difference to a town like South Shields.
For a relatively small expenditure we could give a lot of "added value" and help our marketing of the town, I am referring to the erection of a number of "heritage plaques" such as the one pictured. Not a disparate collection of notice boards, but a standardised presentation detailing the lives and important events of the alumni of South Shields. There might even be an opportunity to create a "heritage trail" for visitors to meander as they collect information.
There are many who could qualify for inclusion in such a scheme, from politicians to entertainers, sportsmen, writers, philanthropists and war heroes.
Wikipedia lists a good collection of those who were born in South Shields, and my friend Alan Myers includes a number in his collection of North-East people from his project at The British Library. Westoe Villlage would benefit from a single plaque informing visitors that it was the birthplace or residence of Sir William Fox (Prime Minister of New Zealand), Richard Wallace Annand (VC winner), Andrew Earnest Stoddart (England Cricket and Rugby captain), and Amy Flagg our own local historian, just as a few examples.
It would take relatively little research to determine the information required to fill the plaque with interest and to determine the approximate nearest location to an original birthplace. So, as we pursue the allocation of Grant Aid from Lottery Heritage Funds, would it be possible to seek a further grant for a "heritage trail" of this type, or would other sources of funding be worth investigating? There's a nice little challenge for our Councillors and officers.
How about it guys?
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Wikipedia
British Library; Myers project
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