Centenary plaque celebrates Amy Johnson’s achievements
Pictured (from left) are Rick Welton, Tracey Curtis-Taylor, Judy Chilvers and Mary Glew after the unveiling.
THE tomboy who took to the skies will be forever remembered at the site of her old school with a plaque recognising her status among Hull’s 100 most inspirational people.
Amy Johnson became the 22nd person from the city to be honoured with the plaques which were introduced by Mary Glew during her term as Hull’s Centenary Lord Mayor from 2013 until 2014.
The unveiling also marked the success of the current Amy Johnson Festival, organised to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Amy’s death. The ceremony was carried out by the aviator’s niece, Judy Chilvers, whose mother, Molly Jones, unveiled the statue of Amy outside Hull’s Prospect Shopping Centre in 1974.
The ceremony took place at Rosedale Mansions, originally the Boulevard Secondary School which Amy attended from 1915 until 1922. The plaque will be placed on the wall close to the main entrance of the building, which now houses luxury apartments.
Judy said: “I am delighted to be here for the unveiling of this plaque commemorating Amy’s association with the Boulevard School which stood on this site all those years ago.
“It’s a wonderful legacy that Amy has left and it has been brilliantly celebrated by the Amy Johnson Festival.”
Councillor Glew said: “We are here to honour a great citizen of Kingston upon Hull, the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia. She remains a courageous and inspirational role model for the generations of people to come.”
Rick Welton, Director of the Amy Johnson Festival, said: “One of the most important stories about Amy at this school was that she was a tomboy. She had a tooth knocked out playing cricket and had to have two front teeth replaced.
“In those days replacement teeth were not very sophisticated and that probably gave Amy an inferiority complex and a desire to assert herself and overcome the complex by doing great things.
“She became a moody teenager and school was not a great period of her life. Although she was an able student she was sulky, moody and quite rebellious!”
Also present at the ceremony was Tracey Curtis-Taylor, a modern day aviator who has celebrated Amy Johnson’s achievements with her own flying exploits, including recreating the historic flight to Australia.
For full details of other activities taking place as part of the Amy Johnson Festival please visit http://amyjohnsonfestival.co.uk/
The Amy Johnson plaque which will go on the wall of her old school.
