Discovering the Leeds Civic Trust Blue Plaques

National World - LocalTV

Andy Hutchinson meets Martin Hamilton from Leeds Civic Trust to discover the history of their Blue Plaque initiative.

Transcript

00:00They each tell a story which shapes the history of our city.

00:05What are they?

00:07Blue plaques commemorating people, events and buildings around your Leeds.

00:14There are more than 200 blue plaques to enjoy right across the city, many of which are hiding

00:19in plain sight.

00:20They're on buildings, landmarks, bridges and down alleyways.

00:25Let's meet Martin Hamilton, Director of Leeds Civic Trust, who are custodians of the blue

00:29plaque scheme.

00:30We've been running a blue plaque scheme since 1987, so it's nearly 40 years now, and the

00:35blue plaque scheme is really about commemorating and celebrating people, places, buildings

00:42and events that have a significance to the city.

00:45So it's a very wide ranging scheme, but it's all about really celebrating and remembering,

00:49telling the story of Leeds, I would say, that's what the plaque scheme is all about.

00:53We unveiled our 200th blue plaque at the end of 2024.

00:58We're now on 201.

01:02We're looking forward to the next 200.

01:04Now the public can nominate for blue plaques, so please explain the nomination process and

01:11how that works.

01:12Of course, so it's very straightforward really.

01:15We have a group that meets four times a year, and they look at applications submitted by

01:21the public.

01:22So on the website, the Leeds Civic Trust website, you can download a form, you fill it in with

01:26as much information as you have about the subject that you would like to be recognised

01:30with a blue plaque.

01:31This panel meets, they say yes, no or maybe, and maybe would be we need to do some more

01:35research, we need to get more information together.

01:39And then if we say yes, we then start the process of thinking about where it goes on

01:43the building.

01:44You need to have somewhere to put it.

01:46We think about who would be invited, what sort of ceremony we want, when we might do

01:50it.

01:51And then there's also the funding.

01:53And we don't expect the people nominating the plaques necessarily to have the funding

01:57in place.

01:58We can go out and try and find the funding through sponsorship.

02:01They nearly always are sponsored, but that's the process that we follow.

02:05And you know, so it's relatively straightforward.

02:07And the main thing is we're after ideas.

02:10You know, we have our own ideas, but to be honest, some of the best ideas come from are

02:16about people, places, buildings, events that we've never heard of.

02:19Just before I let you go, am I right in thinking that, you know, to get a blue plaque, you

02:24have to be deceased effectively?

02:25If you, yes, that's right.

02:26So we, the rule is you have to be dead.

02:31I guess you would want a certain amount of time to pass after someone's died before you

02:35actually do the, consider a blue plaque.

02:39But yes, that's right.

02:40So that's an important thing to consider.

02:42Blue plaques are a permanent reminder of the city's rich history and heritage.

02:48Some are faded and some are brand new.

02:50Either way, they each provide an opportunity available to all for people to reminisce and reflect.

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