Preston City Council throws its weight behind vision to bring Edith Rigby statue to city
A vision to bring a statue of Preston suffragette Edith Rigby has gained backing from the city council.
A motion brought before councillors sought to “wholeheartedly support” an on-going project “to fund a statue of Edith Rigby to be placed at a suitable location in Preston”.
Addressing councillors coun Morgan said: “I think it’s fitting to commemorate this powerful woman with a statue.”
Supporting the motion coun Pauline Brown, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, told members that Edith Rigby was “one of my heroines”.
She added: “She was passionate about women’s rights and social welfare.
“She started a school in Preston and she didn’t just give them lessons she treated them to days out. She was also the first woman to ride a bike in Preston and apparently she had all sorts of abuse at her because she wore trousers to ride her bike.”
Former Preston mayoress Trisha Rollo is spearheading a campaign to bring a memorial to Edith Rigby to her hometown of Preston.
While the vision is only in its initial stages, ideas include a statue to Edith Rigby sitting down on a bench, perhaps in Winckley Square where she spent most of her life.