Plans for a statue to honour Hull's Headscarf Revolutionaries have won the support of more than 800 people.
Organisers of a public consultation have said Hull residents were “overwhelmingly in favour” of a monument to the women who led a campaign for safety improvements in fishing. Lillian Bilocca, Christine Smallbone, Mary Denness and Yvonne Blenkinsop led the fight, taking on fishing industry leaders and the government of the day, after the sinking of three Hull trawlers in the 1960s.
People taking part in the consultation were asked what form the statue should take and where it should be sited, according to a report by the BBC. Tracey Hall Henry, who chairs the Headscarf Statue Committee, said: “I was overwhelmed with the level of support for a statue to these inspirational women.
"What these ladies did was revolutionary. They changed and saved lives by challenging the powers that be of that time."
In 1968, 58 men lost their lives at sea when, in quick succession, the Hull trawlers St Romanus, Kingston Peridot and Ross Cleveland went down with only a sole survivor, Harry Eddom. The "Triple Trawler Tragedy" resulted in the campaign led by the four women who became known as the Headscarf Revolutionaries.
They established what became known as the Fisherman's Charter, which was a demand for better safety standards in the fishing industry, such as a radio operator on every ship, better safety equipment and improved training. In the public consultation, 834 residents supported a statue to remember the women.
Most respondents said they wanted the statue to be located in the city centre, either in the Marina area, near the Deep, or in the proposed North Shipyard development alongside the newly renovated Arctic Corsair. A majority of consultees were in favour of the statue being cast in bronze, but many also said seeing the statue become a reality was more important than specifying a material.
People were unanimous that the statue should represent all four women and for it to portray them realistically rather than in abstract or conceptual form. The committee will use the results of the consultation to draw up a more detailed plan for the statue.
Ian Cuthbert, the Headscarf Statue treasurer and founder of Headscarf Pride, said: “The overwhelming support for the statue from the consultation and the people I speak to every day continues to drive me on until I see it completed. The Headscarf Revolutionaries more than deserve this honour. They are true legends of this city, and they will never be forgotten.”
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