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Blue Plaques Panel Minutes
Minutes of the 45th meeting held at 11.00am on the 15th October 2008 at St Andrew Holborn, London
Present: Professor David Cannadine (Chair)
Dr Celina Fox (Vice-Chair)
Professor David Edgerton
Professor Sir Christopher Frayling
Sir Nicholas Kenyon
Professor Andrew Motion
Dr Margaret Pelling
Dr Jane Ridley
Dr Gavin Stamp
Professor Lisa Tickner
Mr John Cattell - Blue Plaques Secretary
Ms Emily Cole - Head of Blue Plaques Team
Miss Esther Godfrey - Blue Plaques Historian
Mr Howard Spencer - Blue Plaques Historian
Ms Alison Frappell - Blue Plaques Coordinator
Ms Elizabeth Wardle - Blue Plaques Administrator
Item 1 - Apologies and Announcements
Apologies
1.1 Apologies for absence were received from Mr Stephen Fry, Miss Julia Elton, and Ms Maria Adebowale.
Announcements
1.2 Professor Cannadine declared an interest in William Page, Editor of the Victoria County History (VCH) series, who was to be considered at this meeting: the VCH is administered by the Institute of Historical Research, with which Professor Cannadine has an association.
Item 2 - Minutes of the June 2008 meeting
The Open minutes of the June 2008 meeting were agreed and were signed by the Chair as a correct record.
The Exempt minutes of the June 2008 meeting were agreed and were signed by the Chair as a correct record, subject to the change of spelling of `entrepreneur' under Item 8.3 relating to Sir Jack Cohen.
Item 3 - Matters Arising and Secretary's Report (Oral)
3.1 Mr Cattell informed the Panel that since the previous meeting, Dr Susan Skedd had given birth to a baby boy. He welcomed Miss Esther Godfrey in her role as Blue Plaques Historian, covering for Dr Skedd.
3.2 Feedback from the decisions made at the previous Panel meeting had been minimal, and Mr Cattell reported that only The Hubbard Foundation - proposers of L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology - had contacted English Heritage regarding Hubbard's rejection.
3.3 Three plaques had been unveiled since the preceding meeting, which Mr Cattell outlined for the Panel: the plaque to Alastair Sim was unveiled in Hampstead in the presence of Sir Ian McKellen and Barbara Windsor; that to Eleanor Marx was unveiled in Sydenham, with a performance by a socialist choir; and that to James Smithson was unveiled in Marylebone in a ceremony hosted by the Smithsonian Institution and the Wallace Collection. Mr Cattell tabled copies of press coverage relating to these events.
3.4 The 3rd October issue of Country Life magazine had featured a double-page spread on the blue plaques scheme, written by Jeremy Musson, to which Mr Cattell drew the Panel's attention. A copy of the article was tabled.
3.5 Mr Cattell reported that English Heritage had been in correspondence with Mr Hector Luisi of Maryland, USA, following the latter's complaint that the current blue plaque to Símon Bolívar in Duke Street, Marylebone, was misleading in describing Bolívar as `Liberator of Latin America'; he felt that it should be replaced with a new plaque bearing the inscription `Latin American Liberator'. Mr Cattell informed the Panel that English Heritage had now responded on several occasions to Mr Luisi, explaining that it considers such a replacement neither advisable nor necessary, especially given the existence of another privately erected plaque on the same building with a more specific inscription.
The Panel expressed the view that it is unwise to replace plaques that have already been unveiled, and that to do so in this case would set an undesirable precedent.
3.6 Mr Cattell informed the Panel that the report on English Heritage's national consultation with local councils on plaques schemes in England, which had been circulated at the previous meeting, had now been circulated to all English Heritage regional offices, and a shortened version had been sent to those council officers who had contributed to the consultation. Further to this, the database of plaques schemes was proving increasingly useful in responding to enquirers from across the country. Mr Cattell updated the Panel on progress towards holding a conference on commemorative plaques schemes in autumn 2009, and informed the Panel that further information on this would be given at the Panel's March meeting.
3.7 Mr Fry had contributed a foreword to the blue plaques book, Lived in London, for which Mr Cattell offered his thanks. Mr Cattell confirmed that the book would be launched on the 27th May 2009 at Dr Johnson's House in Gough Square, though it would be available in shops from the middle of that month. Mr Cattell asked that the date of the launch be circulated in writing to Panel members by the Blue Plaques Team.
3.8 Since the previous meeting, Ms Cole had given a short presentation on the blue plaques scheme to Munira Mirza, Director of Policy, Arts, Culture and Creative Industries at the GLA, and Mr Cattell gave details of this meeting to the Panel. Miss Mirza had expressed her desire that she and the Mayor be kept informed of plaque unveilings. Mr Cattell suggested that the Blue Plaques Team might consider inviting the Mayor to the book launch or the conference.
3.9 Mr Cattell drew the Panel's attention to the fact that its next meeting would take place on the 18th March 2009, not the 18th February as stated in the agenda for the present meeting.
3.10 Mr Cattell announced that the unveiling of the plaque to Dame Celia Johnson would take place on the 18th December in Richmond, and reported that English Heritage was currently planning an early 2009 unveiling of the plaque to Sir Ralph Richardson, in conjunction with The Old Vic Theatre. Mr Cattell encouraged the Panel to seek further details of these unveilings - if desired - from Ms Wardle.
3.12 Professor Cannadine informed the Panel that the Chairman of English Heritage, Lord Bruce-Lockhart, had died, and that a service in his memory would take place at 11am on the 27th November at Canterbury Cathedral, which Panel members might wish to attend.
Item 4 - Information Reports: London
The reports giving information on plaques erected since the last meeting, and the progress of plaques approved for London, were noted by the Panel.
Item 5 - New Suggestions for Blue Plaques: London
5.1 The following new suggestions were endorsed for a full historical report to be made to the Panel:
Amelia Edwards (Archaeology and Ethnography; Literature)
Wells Coates (Architecture and Building; Applied Arts)
John Atkinson Hobson (Economics and Statistics; Politics and Administration)
The First Birth Control Clinic in Britain (Historical Sites; Philanthropy and Reform)
Dame Maud McCarthy (Medicine)
Billy Cotton (Music and Dance; Radio and Television)
John Blow (Music and Dance)
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (Science; Gardening)
The Panel shortlisted Hooker for his own achievements, but felt that a plaque which jointly commemorated him with his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, would be the ideal option.
Alfred Junge (Theatre and Film; Applied Arts)
5.2 The Panel felt that the following new suggestions did not meet the selection criteria for the scheme and recommended that they should not be shortlisted:
Gerald Holtom (Applied Arts)
Arthur T. Bolton (Architecture and Building; Historians)
Sir Robert Warburton (Armed Forces; Politics and Administration)
Frederick W. Paine (Commerce and Business)
Cecil Collins (Fine Arts)
Eileen Power (Historians)
William Page (Journalism and Publishing; Historians)
Aaron Arrowsmith (Journalism and Publishing)
Ferdinand Freiligrath (Literature; Politics and Administration; Overseas Visitors)
Hans Günter Adler (Literature)
The Panel felt that it was too early to assess Adler's suitability for a plaque, and that ten years should be allowed for a better assessment of the longevity of his contribution to be made.
Leslie Charteris (Literature; Radio and Television)
Kathleen Raine (Literature)
A. L. (Bert) Lloyd (Music and Dance; Radio and Television)
Edward `Tubby' Hayes (Music and Dance)
Thomas Attwood (Music and Dance)
Edward Denison (Philanthropy and Reform)
Arthur Greenwood (Politics and Administration)
Dame Mary Smieton (Politics and Administration)
Gus Kuhn (Sport; Commerce and Business)
Horace de Vere Cole (Other)
Item 6 - Supplementary Reports
Suggestions for which the Panel had asked for further research to be carried out:
6.1 Sir William Benjamin Carpenter
The Panel endorsed the recommendation that Carpenter be rejected.
Item 7 - Final Reports
Item 7.1 - Blue Plaque: Roger Fry (1866-1934)
The Panel agreed the proposal that, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, a blue plaque be erected.
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 36: Prejudicial to the conduct of Public Affairs. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
Item 7.2 - Blue Plaque: Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988)
The Panel agreed the proposal that, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, a blue plaque be erected.
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 36: Prejudicial to the conduct of Public Affairs. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
Item 7.3 - Blue Plaque: Michael Powell (1905-1990)
The Panel agreed the proposal that, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, a blue plaque be erected.
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 36: Prejudicial to the conduct of Public Affairs. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
Item 7.4 - Blue Plaque: Marie Stopes (1880-1958)
The Panel agreed the proposal that, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, a blue plaque be erected.
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 36: Prejudicial to the conduct of Public Affairs. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
Item 7.5 - Blue Plaque: Sir David Lean (1908-1991)
The Panel agreed the proposal that, subject to the necessary consents being obtained, a blue plaque be erected.
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 36: Prejudicial to the conduct of Public Affairs. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
Item 8 - Matters for Discussion
8.1 Replacement of existing private plaque to Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) and Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891)
This report/minute is potentially exempt from public access under the Freedom of Information Act, Section 22: Future Publication. Please note that other exemptions may also apply.
8.2 Joint plaque to Michael Powell (1905-1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988)
The Panel was of the opinion that although the work of Powell and Pressburger was undoubtedly enduringly important, a total of three plaques variously in their honour would give their achievements a greater significance than was warranted. The Panel acknowledged that it was through the synergy of their partnership that Powell and Pressburger's best-loved works were produced, but decided that the proposed joint plaque at their workplace be forgone in favour of separate plaques at their residential addresses. This would accord with the residential focus of the scheme and ensure that the filmmakers were given recognition equal to that of other individuals in well-known partnerships, such as W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, who were awarded separate plaques.
Item 9 - Any Other Business
9.1 Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held at 11.00am on Wednesday 18th March 2009 at St Andrew Holborn.
Elizabeth Wardle
Blue Plaques Administrator
October 2008
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Minutes of Blue Plaques Panel meeting - 15th October 2008