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Public are involved with blue plaques
• CONGRATULATIONS to John Gulliver who manages to cram an error into almost every sentence of his article last week (Why is star Marc Bolan waiting for a Blue Plaque?).
He returns to his old hobby horse, Blue Plaques. First, he doesn’t understand “why the whole business of selection is run secretly”.
But it isn’t secret at all, as he shows in a subsequent paragraph. He wrote to English Heritage, asked for the names of those shortlisted for a Blue Plaque and got a reply within two days.
“But still I had to force it out of them,” he says. How exactly was this force applied? He asked for information and was given it by return of post.
He complains that the “public are treated as if they don’t exist.”
But it is the public who suggest the names for Blue Plaques. The public have access to the committee’s decision. The public come to the unveilings.
Blue Plaques are expensive. The public pay for them. The public would not want a limitless number of Blue Plaques, which is why a committee of volunteers select 20 or so each year.
Incidentally, John Gulliver says these committee members receive a “stipend”. In fact they are unpaid. He says I am on the committee. I was (very happily) but my stint came to an end last year.
I could go on. Ben Travers, for example, was an extremely famous playwright, and not, as stated, a music hall artist.
AN WILSON
Regent’s Park Terrace, NW1
• IN response to the article Why is star Marc Bolan waiting for a Blue Plaque? I would like to point out a number of inaccuracies.
The blue plaques scheme is not run ‘secretly’. Proposals are made by the general public and all those which meet the basic selection criteria are considered by the Blue Plaques Panel, the minutes of which are freely available to enquirers and are soon to be placed on our website.
The list of shortlisted figures for commemoration is also readily available and is provided to all enquirers freely, it was by this means that the information was given to the Camden New Journal, without recourse to the Freedom of Information Act.
Contrary to the article’s assertion, the Blue Plaques Panel carries out its work without financial reward or stipend, and Mr AN Wilson is no longer a panel member. The article is also incorrect in stating that the “only part the public play” in the scheme “is in suggesting names of people to be honoured” (though this is perhaps the most important part of the process, driving all other activities).
I might point out that unveiling ceremonies are organised by, and attended by, members of the public, and that plaques cannot be installed without the consent of a building owner, themselves a member of the public.
The article cites some of the figures to have been rejected by the Blue Plaques Panel in recent years. As only a certain number of plaques can be installed each year, some very difficult decisions have to be made and, where figures are rejected, full reasons are given.
English Heritage blue plaques are hugely popular and part of this success is due to the close part the public play in the scheme. I am sorry, therefore, that your article gave something of a false impression.
EMILY COLE
Head of English Heritage Blue Plaques Team |
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