The Walk of Fame will be laid through Leicester’s Cultural Quarter, starting at Halford Street and ending at Phoenix Square. The special stone plaques will be in the shape of Leicester’s cinquefoil.
The first Leicester ‘heroes’ whose plaques will be unveiled on Saturday 24th April are Alice Hawkins, Joe Orton, Tom Barclay, Thomas Cook, Jennie Fletcher, Ernest Gimson, Sue Townsend, Engelbert Humperdinck and Mark Selby.
Also set to be celebrated in future installations are Sir David Attenborough, Lord Richard Attenborough, Gok Wan, Gary Lineker, Alec Jeffries, John of Gaunt and Parminder Nagra.
The city council is hoping to announce the names of two more city stars set to be included, within the next few days.
Engelbert Humperdinck and Mark Selby have confirmed they will be at the unveiling of the Walk of Fame, which will be part of the city’s St George’s Day celebrations, on April 24th.
Engelbert Humperdinck said: “Upon my return home from the start of a world tour I was delighted to learn that I have been nominated by the people of Leicester for The Walk of Fame in the cultural heart of Leicester. This has made me so proud and excited at having a presence there.
“As you probably know, I have a large number of family who reside in the city and county of Leicestershire and they will be so proud of this news.
“It is a great thrill for me personally, and for this to follow having a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood is a great honour and means a lot to me as it is in the city I call home.”
Mark Selby said: “I’m really honoured and privileged to be involved and put forward for the Walk of Fame. There are lots of great sports people from Leicester, so to be recognised in this way is a great honour and shows how far I have come over the past two years.”
The Walk of Fame will be launched by the Lord Mayor of Leicester at 12.30pm in Orton Square, followed by an exhibition at Curve, which opens to the public at 2pm.
Cllr Patrick Kitterick, Cabinet member for regeneration said, “Leicester has lots to shout about, including the fantastic people who have contributed to it over the years.
“The Walk of Fame is a great way to celebrate their contributions, and to put the spotlight on the Cultural Quarter, and all that Leicester has to offer.”
Earlier this year the city council asked residents to nominate individuals, past or present, who have made a positive impact on the city and its people.
The public responded with 147 different nominations. These were all considered by a panel made up of the Lord Mayor of Leicester Cllr Roger Blackmore, council leader Ross Willmott, and Cllr Kitterick.
http://www.citizenseye.org/2010/04/07/walk-of-fame-latest/