Heritage panels spotlight metropolis’s hyperlinks to Attenborough household

TWO new heritage panels have been unveiled highlighting Leicester’s hyperlinks with the Attenborough household.

The panels are fastened onto a double-sided signal at Victoria Park, and are situated – appropriately sufficient – near the University of Leicester’s Attenborough constructing.

They inform the story of this well-known household’s connections to Leicester and so they impression they’ve had through the years.

Guests together with Michael Attenborough CBE (son of Lord Attenborough) and Dr Robert Attenborough (son of Sir David Attenborough) attended an official unveiling occasion, together with household biographer Richard Graves. The occasion was additionally attended by metropolis mayor Peter Soulsby and assistant metropolis mayor for tradition, Cllr Vi Dempster, in addition to by employees from the college and metropolis council museums service.

One of the panels – entitled The Attenborough Family – considers the work of Frederick Attenborough and his position within the growth of University College, now the University of Leicester. The household got here to Leicester in 1932 when Frederick was appointed principal. His three sons have been introduced up on the campus, and attended Wyggeston Boys School.

Actor and director Lord Richard Attenborough starred in movies together with The Great Escape and Jurassic Park, and gained the 1982 Academy Award for Best Director for his historic epic Gandhi.

Naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough’s work as a author, presenter and narrator spans eight a long time, from Zoo Quest in 1954 by to Life on Earth, Wildlife on One, and the Planet Earth and Blue Planet sequence.

John Attenborough labored within the motor commerce and was managing director of Mann Egerton, heading their Rolls-Royce division, and the top of the British operations of Italian automotive producer Alfa Romeo.

Another panel is entitled Mary Attenborough, and paperwork her work giving sanctuary at Evington Hall for 50 unaccompanied baby refugees displaced by the Spanish Civil War. She additionally adopted Jewish refugee ladies from Berlin in the course of the Second World War, and continued to champion ladies’s rights till her loss of life.

The complete household has had a reference to Leicester Museum and Art Gallery for a few years. Mary impressed the museum to work with refugees and gather German Expressionist artworks, whereas David was a frequent customer to the museum and was impressed by its pure historical past collections. The Picasso Collection of ceramics was donated to the museum by Lord and Lady Attenborough.

The panels additionally doc the assorted areas within the metropolis named after the Attenboroughs, and embrace the portraits of David and Richard Attenborough by Bryan Organ, which have been unveiled at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.

City mayor Peter Soulsby stated: “The Attenboroughs are synonymous with Leicester and having met a number of family members I’ve at all times been struck by their heat and their fondness for the folks of Leicester.

“We made Lord Attenborough and Sir David freemen of the city in 1990 and it is wonderful to be able to follow this up with this dedication to the whole family, including Mary’s work with refugees, so that more people can learn about their commitment to the city.”

Cllr Vi Dempster stated: “Our heritage panels are a great way to learn more about Leicester’s history, from Roman and medieval times through to more recent events. It’s wonderful to be able to tell the stories of people who have helped to shape the city and put us on the map, and the Attenboroughs are a prime example.”

Since 2014, a complete of 375 heritage panels have been put in throughout Leicester. The panels are a part of the Story of Leicester challenge, which celebrates the town’s 2,000-year historical past by remembering the folks, locations and occasions of Leicester’s current and distant previous.

The panels are grouped in themes to inform completely different chapters within the metropolis’s story, and every theme is colour-coded to make them straightforward to determine.

To discover out extra in regards to the Story of Leicester, go to the web site at www.storyofleicester.info

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Picture exhibits left to proper Councillor Vi Dempster, Michael Attenborough CBE, Dr Robert Attenborough and metropolis mayor Peter Soulsby with the brand new heritage panel