Plaque to honour city's first female mayor

A blue plaque has been unveiled to honour Coventry’s first female mayor.

The heritage plaque celebrates "passionate" campaigner, socialist and trade union organiser Alice Arnold, who was appointed the city's first woman mayor in 1937.

It is set to be installed next year at her former home of 28 Short Street.

More than 100 heritage plaques are currently on display in the city, with the latest created at the request of trade union Unite, Coventry City Council said.

Miss Arnold was born at a workhouse in 1881, working at factories and joining the city's workers' union, before serving on the local authority for more than 30 years.

A significant figure in Coventry's history of women's protests, she once led a procession from London Euston station to the Home Office to hand in a petition calling for a more peaceful society.

Her petition had been signed by 60,000 people, nearly a third of the city's then population.

Councillor Naeem Akhtar, cabinet member for housing and communities, said the plaque would serve as a "permanent reminder" of Miss Arnold's influence on Coventry.

“A passionate campaigner for workers, a dedicated public servant and a pioneering Lord Mayor, Alice Arnold is a name every Coventrian should know," he said.

“I would like to thank Unite for working with us on this project and for arranging the installation.”

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