MOUTH OF THE WEAR
How about recognition for the greatest adopted Mackem?
Last year the Echo ran a piece about the Germanborn genius, scientist and composer William Herschel, 1738-1822. His many accomplishments include discovering infrared radiation and the planet Uranus, as well as stacks of other stuff that mere journalists couldn’t possibly understand. He lived in Sunderland. He resided in what is now Sunniside, where he composed six symphonies. The point of the feature was that no blue plaque, nor any other tribute, exists in the city to this astounding individual.
In Bath an entire museum is dedicated to Herschel. Objects named after him include craters on Mars and the moon, a gap in Saturn’s rings, an asteroid, a park, school and pub in Slough, an observatory, telescope and numerous college buildings including one in Newcastle.
In Sunderland? Not so much as a labrador. What does a bloke have to do? Shouldn’t we shout rather more loudly about him? A plaque which does exist in Sunniside honours Charles Alcock, Sunderland man and founder of the FA Cup. He deserves it too, but it’s difficult to make the case for Alcock ahead of Herschel, who easily meets the criteria for a plaque.
We wonder too at certain Sunderland street names. Roads are named after local worthies such as John Candlish, John Fawcett, Barry High, etc. Areas such as Doxford Park are similarly named.
Fair enough. But others are nonplussing. For example there is Cicero Terrace in Southwick, named after a Roman statesman called Mr Cicero, a hugely impressive man who met his end in 43BC when his head and hands were cut off on the orders of Mark Antony.
Interesting stuff, but what does that have to do with Southwick, or Sunderland?
The same applies to nearby Julius Caesar Street, Tennyson Street and Cato Street, named after another Roman statesman and not the bloke who leaped out of cupboards at Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther films. But it seems that Herschel might as well have spent his time leaping out of cupboards if all he wanted was some recognition in the city he called home for two years.
This can be easily rectified. In the meantime, William Herschel remains just an obscure question in the Echo Quiz League.