The Northern Star
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
A campaign has been started by Malcolm Chase, Professor of Social History at the University of Leeds to have a Blue Plaque erected on the site of the offices and printing works of the great Chartist newspaper, The Northern Star. So far, the Plaques Group at Leeds Civic Trust have rejected the application on the grounds that the original building no longer stands and that the plaque would be fixed to a 1960’s office block.
While the general criteria is that wherever possible, the Plaque should be fixed to the original building, they have made exceptions in the past when the subject of the plaque is judged important enough. Professor Chase hopes that with enough support, this can be one of those exceptions, and the Barnsby Blog supports him wholeheartedly in this campaign. The Northern Star was one of the most important newspapers of the 19th Century and hugely influential for the Chartist Movement. As you know, George has written extensively on the Chartists in Birmingham and the Black Country.
If enough people were to e-mail supporting the case for a Blue Plaque for Northern Star, then they would reconsider their decision. If people could expand on the importance of Chartism and the Northern Star and why they are worth commorating, then so much the better.
Your e-mails should be sent to both these addresses ;