When it comes to recognising people who have make a contribution to society and where they lived, Ealing ranks 20th in London for having seven Blue Plaques to recognise them, new research from Brunel Engraving has found.
Despite Ealing’s historical past with contributions made by individuals in various fields, just seven plaques have been installed across the whole of the borough. Ealing comes below below leader Westminster with 320 blue plaques.
Ealing’s seven Blue Plaques are:
Neighbouring boroughs Richmond with 26, Hammersmith & Fulham with 20 and Hounslow with 10 come ahead of Ealing. Though Harrow with four, Brent with two and Hillingdon with none come right at the bottom.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, Brunel Engraving spokesperson Tom Pycock said: “Ealing is a historic borough of London with some of the oldest film studios in the world, the lack of blue plaques certainly needs addressing. Our research shows some of the more central boroughs of Westminster and Camden have the overwhelming majority of plaques, and that needs to change if we want to properly recognise historical figures further afield in the scheme.”
The total number of Blue Plaques across London is nearly 1,000, The scheme started in 1866 and is now run by English Heritage.
Blue Plaques from English Heritage need to meet the following conditions:
Only one plaque is erected per person.
At least 20 years must have passed since a candidate’s death.
At least one building associated with the figure must survive within Greater London (but outside the City of London, which has its own scheme).
Buildings with many personal associations, such as churches, schools and theatres, are not normally considered for plaques.
No more than two plaques are allowed on one building.
Nominations to commemorate buildings that have historical significance for an event, or a group of individuals, will be considered as resources allow.
Full details on proposing a Blue Plaque can be found here.
