(1920-2011)
On the outskirts of Edinburgh I take a bus ride out to the suburbs to visit Helen’s commemoration. Unveiled by Helen’s grandson in 2014, it captures the moment when Helen gave her son a violin after being refused lessons at school, as him, like so many local children, were essentially written off. Helen was the driving force behind the Craigmillar Festival, an event set up in 1962 to showcase local talent and the arts in an area that was generally poorly served. From there, the festival ran for 40 years. Articles point to it being an inspiration for the Notting Hill Carnival.
For such a renowned city, Edinburgh lacks, like many cities, female reps amongst its sculptures. Naturally, Queen Victoria gets a look in, but Helen has the only other named woman statue in Edinburgh. More recently, a set of poet busts unveiled along Lochside Walkway has gone a little way to address this…..
WomenstatuesUK 