YEP Letters: March 10

Suggestions for who new statue should honour

The Yorkshire Evening Post is backing a call from Rachel Reeves, MP for Leeds West, and Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake, to have a new statue erected in Leeds - one of a woman.

Apart from Queen Victoria, Henry Moore’s reclining woman and some nymphs in city square, Leeds has no statue of a woman.

And yet we have so many Leeds women who have left their mark in history.

People who have worked for charities, for social reform, for racial equality - there are athletes, politicians, authors, businesswomen and scientists. So we are asking YEP readers, on their behalf to come up with ideas on who YOU think should be commemorated in our city.

No public money will go into this statue as it’s hoped the money will come from donations and fundraising from around Leeds. Here are some of your suggestions...

John Peckham, Leeds

For many years I’ve thought one daughter of our city long worthy of a statue must be Dame Fanny Waterman – the co-founder of the Leeds International Piano Competition.

Dame Fanny, who is already a Freeman of Leeds, reaches a sprightly 97 on March 22.

In 1961 the competition catapulted Leeds on to the world classical music stage and the event is, of course, still a television fixture. As Leeds is bidding for European City of Culture she would surely be a most appropriate choice.

I’m not a musician but once met a young rising star American piano soloist in Chicago.

When she asked as to my home city, she instantly recalled having met Dame Fanny in a tone so gushed it was as if she’d met the Queen!

Catherine Shuttleworth