York unveils a new blue plaque for Frankie Howerd
A plaque dedicated to comedy great Frankie Howerd has been unveiled at his birthplace in York, as part of the Great Yorkshire Fringe festival.
The York Civic Trust held a ceremony today (Tuesday 26th July 2016) to celebrate the comedian's time spent in the city, with actor Mark Addy officially unveiling the new plaque installed on the comedian's childhood home in Hartoft Street.
Speaking earlier this year, the Lord Mayor of York, Dave Taylor, who helped organise the plaque, told York Press: "Frankie Howerd is a worthy son of York - a great comedian who struggled through his personal life to entertain us. York's history shows in the built environment and the wealth of archaeology beneath our feet, but it is right and fitting that we also recognise the cultural icons of the recent past."
David Fraser from the York Civic Trust comments: "For generations to come, people will see this plaque and know that the son of a soldier and chocolate worker from the city went on to become a familiar and well-loved national figure in British popular culture, spreading joy and happiness with his unique comedy for decades."
This is not the first plaque dedicated to the Up Pompeii! star. There is a plaque at York's Grand Opera House installed by Comic Heritage in 1999, and another at his London home in Kensington, organised by The Dead Comics Society (now known as The British Comedy Society), erected in 1993.
Speaking about the location of the new plaque, Dave Taylor says it is linked with Howerd's earliest memory. "It is said the first memory Frankie Howerd could recall was of falling down the stairs at number 53."
Below is a picture of the unveiling:
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And here is a closer view of the plaque:
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