Lego suffragette marks anniversary of female MP

Olly Hilton
BBC CWR
Will Jefford
BBC News, West Midlands
The model, called Hope, took a team of three people a total of 171 hours to build

A life-size Lego suffragette is on display at the University of Warwick to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Coventry electing its first female MP.

The model, called Hope, was first built in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote and consists of 32,327 bricks.

Originally exhibited in the House of Commons, the model has travelled to the university to mark 75 years since Elaine Burton was elected in Coventry in 1950.

Dr Tara Morton, from the university, said the figure was "really quite a spectacle to behold".

The model stands at 5ft 6in (1.68m) and took a team of three people a total of 171 hours to build.

As well as the Lego figure, a series of events are being held by the university's history department, which is aiming to raise awareness of local Votes for Women campaigners.

"It was quite a feat to build her - she really is life-sized," Dr Morton said.

"She's really colourful and she's a really great talking piece."

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