Rare ‘Freedom of the City’ given to pub bomb victims
THE victims of the Birmingham pub bombings have received the highest civic recognition the city can bestow.
In a moving ceremony, the 21 people slain in the IRA attacks 43 years ago were granted the posthumous Freedom of The City.
It means their names will be enshrined alongside those of war heroes and the great and good of Birmingham’s past.
It brought to an end a quest spanning more than four decades by many of the relatives to ensure their love ones will never be forgotten.
Julie Hambleton, who lost her sister Maxine in the atrocity, was moved to tears when she heard about the honour.
She said: “Such recognition from the city and community of our great city goes way beyond ‘thank you’. The depth and meaning of such an act by those who represent us in Birmingham to honour fellow Brummies who are sadly no longer with us, is momentous. This means that the 21 will never be forgotten and that their names and lives will forever be part and parcel of the city they all knew as home.
“On behalf of all the families, we want to express our sincerest and deepest gratitude to all at Birmingham City Council for bestowing such an honour on our loved ones of whom, we continue to grieve for, miss and love every day.
Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Anne Underwood, welcomed the families and a Freedom of the City Scroll was presented to them which will go on display at St Phillip’s Cathedral. The families also each received a copy of the scroll.
While purely symbolic, the move by the council to confer posthumous awards is unprecedented. Freedom of the City recognition is rarely bestowed on the living, and in Birmingham has never before been made posthumously.
The ceremony came in the same week as a memorial service in the grounds of St Philip’s Cathedral to mark the 43rd anniversary of the terrorist atrocity on November 21, 1974. The attack, never admitted by the IRA, killed 21 people in the Mulberry Bush and Tavern in the Town pubs in the city centre.
The son of one of the victims summed up the mood of most of the victims’ families.
Paul Rowlands said: “As the son of John Rowlands, who died in the Mulberry Bush, I would like to say that, after 43 years of trying to forget what happened due to the emotional trauma, it is wonderful that the city has chosen to do this.
“It has re-invigorated my faith in the leaders of Birmingham and the fact that my father is no longer one of the forgotten. Thank you Birmingham.”
Paul Bridgewater, whose father Paul Davies died aged 17, was among the youngest victims, said: “We are truly honoured for the recognition and hopefully it will help us with our fight for funding parity in the upcoming inquest.”
Announcing the decision by the council 12 months ago, former leader Councillor John Clancy and fellow party leaders Robert Alden and Jon Hunt issued a joint statement.
They said: “The horrific events of November 21, 1974 cast a long shadow in Birmingham as our city came under attack. The victims of the bombings were sons and daughters of our city and our region, tragically cut down on that horrific night.”