These are the 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to our readers
PORTSMOUTH is a proud city with an incredible history.
By ron Melton
Published 21st Oct 2020, 16:29 BST
It’s got a statue of Charles Dickens that casts a watchful eye over Guildhall Square, marking the world-famous writer’s birth here in 1812.
A figure of Horatio Nelson stands in Grand Parade, commemorating the naval hero’s final walk to HMS Victory from Old Portsmouth in September, 1805.
And journey less than a mile from there into Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and you’ll find HMS Victory itself – just a stone’s throw from King Henry VIII’s real Mary Rose.
We recently took to Facebook to ask our readers who else they think should get their own statue in Portsmouth.
The discussion took off, and we now bring you their top 21 suggestions – from the rousing to the ridiculous.
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And journey less than a mile from there into Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and you’ll find HMS Victory itself – just a stone’s throw from King Henry VIII’s real Mary Rose.
9. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Late prime minister Sir Winston Churchill was also suggested by readers. He was the PM on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and oversaw the Allied attacks on German forces on the northern coast of France. Portsmouth played an important role in the landings. Photo: Yousuf Karsh // Library and Archives Canada (Creative Commons via WikiMedia Commons)
10. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Nelson the Pompey mascot scored a few votes. One reader suggested he should look 'majestically' over the city from Portsdown Hill. What a sight that would be. Photo: PinPep Media / Joe Pepler
11. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Journalist, author and intellectual Christopher Hitchens, brother of Peter Hitchens, died aged 62 in Texas in 2011. But he was born in Portsmouth, and some readers suggested he should have a statue here. Photo: Meesh from Washington DC (WikiMedia Commons)
12. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Born in Portsea in 1854, Hertha Ayrton was a Suffragette, scientist, inventor and engineer. She was awarded the Hughes Medal in 1906 for her work on electric arcs and ripples in sand and water. There's also a blue plaque in her name in Queen Street, and the neighbouring Hertha Ayrton Way is named after her. Photo: Taken in Paddington, London, by Spudgun67 (WikiMedia Commons)
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