Leeds Blue Plaques: How residents can nominate a plaque for restoration - and get the chance to unveil it

Blue Plaques, an initiative carried out by Leeds Civic Trust, aims to preserve the history of significant people, places and events by creating plaques with information about them.

The Trust has unveiled 180 plaques over the last 35 years and has some interesting new plaques to reveal over the next couple of months as it gets closer to unveiling its 200th plaque.

Leeds residents now have the chance to nominate a plaque that’s in need of sprucing up to restore it to its former glory. The Trust hopes this will also be a great opportunity to add any new information or details to Blue Plaques that were unavailable at the original time of unveiling to re-tell the story more accurately.

Leeds Civic Trust director Martin Hamilton said: “The blue plaques of Leeds belong to the people of Leeds, so it is only right that they have a say in which blue plaques should be restored. It is also a great opportunity to remind people why we unveiled the plaque in the first place.”

Some former recipients of Blue Plaques include JRR Tolkein, author of the beloved Lord Of The Rings Series. He worked at the University of Leeds first as a reader and later as a professor from 1920-1925 and lived in Leeds between 1924-1925.

Another joint plaque is for Dewhirst and Marks and Spencer; Isaac Dewhirst owned a warehouse and sold wholesale clothing, while Michael Marks bought from him and met his cashier Tom Spencer. In 1984, they formed Marks and Spencer in Leeds.

Another plaque marks the Live at Leeds gig performed by The Who in the University Leeds refectory in 1970. It was later released as one of the most celebrated live albums of its generation.

Leeds Civic Trust said they are aware of the special place Blue Plaques hold in the hearts of the people of Leeds – there was great upset and protest following the theft of David Oluwale’s plaque last summer. David was a British citizen who came to Leeds from Nigeria in 1949 in search of a better life, but was killed after years of persecution. Last year, a plaque to commemorate his life was stolen shortly after it was unveiled.

Dr Emily Zobel Marshall from the David Oluwale Memorial Association told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "There has been a huge show of solidarity from the people of Leeds, and the council and the civic trust and other institutions."

The Trust said it will replace plaques that have been lost or send damaged plaques back to the foundry for refurbishment. It is inviting residents of Leeds to nominate plaques that they think are in need of restoring and it will pick six plaques, as well as allowing the person who nominated the plaque for restoration to unveil it.

Any Leeds residents who want to nominate a plaque should email [email protected] before the deadline on the March 28.