Blue plaque marks toy shop where suffragettes once met

The address at 36 Coney Street was once the local headquarters of the Women’s Social and Political Union, the suffragette movement controlled by Emmeline Pankhurst, which was known nationally for its campaign of civil disobedience – heckling politicians, breaking windows and setting fire to post boxes in pursuit of its crusade for equality.

York’s contribution to the crusade was documented two years ago, in a community theatre production called Everything Is Possible, in which a company of 170 volunteers moved from the grounds of the Minster to the Theatre Royal as part of the performance.

Yesterday, its second act was played out, as the producers and York Civic Trust unveiled a blue plaque in Coney Street as a memorial to the suffragettes.

Juliet Forster, who co-directed the production: “The play had a huge impact on York and will live a long time in the memories of those of us who made it and saw it, but especially in the wonderful women and men of contemporary York who brought this important York story to life.”