Voting has opened for this year’s winner of the Southwark Blue Plaques scheme, in association with Southwark Heritage Association, Southwark Council and the News.
Seven potential winners have been selected after a public nomination process earlier this year.
To cast a vote before the September 15 deadline, you can email owen@southwarknews.co.uk or admin@southwark.org.uk
Votes can also be cast using voting slips that available at all council-run libraries. The Half Moon pub and Mayflower Inn will be keeping their own books in which guests can cast a vote.
The News and Southwark Heritage Association would like to clarify for those who nominated historian Stephen Humphrey that nominees need to have been deceased for one year in order to be eligible.
The nominees include:
Thomas Middleton, poet and playwright
Middleton was born in the City of London in 1580 and lived at Newington Butts from 1603. He died in 1627 and was buried in St Mary’s Newington church. He wrote seven masterpieces, covering all four genres of dramas and was only matched as a playwright by Shakespeare himself.
Kennington Theatre
Once host to plays, musical comedies, and musical hall events in Kennington Park Place. The theatre suffered bomb damage in WW2 and was demolished to make way for the Kennington Park House flats which stand in its place. Pictures of the theatre and its entrance from 1900 can be found at www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/KenningtonTheatre.htm
Eric Allendale Dubuisson
Born in the West Indies, Eric was invited to join Motown-inspired The Foundations as trombone player in the 1960s. The Foundations are recognised as one of the original UK multicultural bands. They achieved chart success in England, the US and Canada. In the 1970s Eric and his partner owned a shop at 38 Peckham Rye. He also lived in Hollydale Road, Peckham Hill Street and St Mary’s Road.
Half Moon public house
The historic Half Moon pub in Herne Hill was nominated for its connection to Welsh poet and author Dylan Thomas, who drank there regularly. And for its proximity to Milkwood Road, believed to have inspired Thomas’ famous work, Under Milk Wood.
Mayflower Inn
Formerly the Spread Eagle (1550) had connections to the famous Mayflower ship that transported the Pilgrims to settle America in 1620. The ship’s captain Christopher Jones is said to have part-owned the Inn at the time.
Sir James Black
Black won a Nobel Prize in 1988 for developing two landmark anti-ulcer drugs and Beta blockers. He was appointed professor of analytical pharmacology at King’s College hospital in 1984.
Southwark Charities
Celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Edward Edward’s Alms houses 39, Nicholson Street, SE1 – an important milestone of service to the poor and elderly of the borough.