These are the 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to our readers
By ron Melton
Published 21st Oct 2020, 16:29 BST
PORTSMOUTH is a proud city with an incredible history.
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.
13. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
The late John Jenkins MBE needs little introduction. The 100-year-old was a D-Day veteran and famed Pompey fan, who earned the nation's applause in 2019 by addressing the Queen and other world leaders at the D-Day 75 commemorations in Southsea. Photo: Habibur Rahman
14. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
TV personality Kim Woodburn, known for her role in Channel 4's How Clean Is Your House?, comes from Portsmouth. Some readers said she deserves a statue here. Photo: Ian Hargreaves
15. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Legendary detective Sherlock Holmes was created in Southsea in 1887 by the late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who worked as a GP in what's now a block of flats in Elm Grove. His Portsmouth legacy was deemed sufficient by those who'd like to see him remembered here in statue form. Photo: Photo by London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
16. 21 people Portsmouth needs statues of - according to readers
Portsmouth-born John Pounds was a teacher credited with the creation of Ragged schools, which offered free education to poor children in 19th century Britain. He's the name behind the John Pounds Memorial Church, pictured, and the John Pounds Centre, which are both in Portsmouth. Photo: Hassocks5489 (WIkiMedia Commons)
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