IT has been interesting to note the Bank of England public appeal for nominations for the person to appear on the new polymer £50 note. The call by more than 200 leading stars, cultural leaders and politicians to put an historic figure from a black and ethnic minority on it is to be greatly welcomed.
It is about time that we reflected multicultural Britain by putting a person of colour on the note and the Crimean War nurse Mary Seacole would be a well-deserved candidate for this.
Seacole was a Scottish-Jamaican business woman and nurse, whose father was a Scottish lieutenant in the British army. When the Crimean War broke out she applied to the War Office to assist, but was refused. Undeterred she travelled independently and set up the “British Hotel" behind the lines, assisting the battlefield wounded. Seacole became extremely popular among service personnel, who raised money for her when she faced destitution after the war. To mark her tremendous contribution she was posthumously awarded the Jamaican Order of Merit in 1991and in 2004 she was voted the greatest black Briton.
Ethnic minorities represent 14 per cent of the British population and their achievements were the greater for having been made at a time when so many careers were closed to them. Putting an ethnic minority background on the new note would show that their contribution to Britain is valued and recognised.
Alex Orr,
2/3 Marchmont Road, Edinburgh.
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