You may have spotted the distinctive circular, blue and white plaques dotted around Bristol which commemorate the great and the good who have lived or worked in this city. The majority of these plaques were installed by Bristol City Council until 2015. From that date, this honour has been taken up by Bristol Civic Society which is keen to commemorate people and associated buildings whose contributions may have been overlooked, as well as aspects of our local history that are less widely known.
For the inaugural meeting at our new venue, Trinity-Henleaze United Reform Church, BAAS welcomed Gordon Young of Bristol Civic Society to explain the process behind selecting individuals (and the building they lived or worked in) to be commemorated with a blue wall plaque. This fascinating and entertaining talk covered the nomination process, the design and manufacture of the plaques, the installation and ceremony, as well as the stories behind the nomination. An evocative and sometimes nostalgic look at some of the unsung heroes and heroines who lived or worked in Bristol and an insightful look at social history within our city. Not only do the plaques commemorate the person nominated, but they also provide a biography for the building concerned and a sense of pride within the neighbourhood.
Gordon advised that the wording on the plaques should be succinct and brief and, to this end, I have attempted to write this review in keeping with his wishes. Instead of reviewing in detail some of the case studies described to the BAAS audience, I can instead recommend an interactive map on the Bristol Civic Society website: www.bristolcivicsociety.org.uk.