Plaque unveiled for cyclist who inspired Elgar

Dora Penny first met Edward Elgar in 1895 and he later named part of an orchestral work after her

A blue plaque has been unveiled to celebrate the life of a cyclist and philanthropist who inspired composer Edward Elgar.

Dora Penny, also known as Dorabella, first met Elgar in 1895 with the composer naming one of his orchestral works after her.

The plaque on Ms Penny's former home, the Old Rectory on Waterloo Rd in Wolverhampton, was unveiled on Saturday.

“She was a trailblazer, at a time when it was a male-dominated society,” said David Dungar, chairman of the Wolverhampton Society.

Ms Penny moved to Wolverhampton at the age of 21 when her father became the Rector of St Peter's church.

She was an intrepid cyclist and a philanthropist, both of which were unusual for women at that time, Mr Dungar said.

The plaque on the Old Rectory on Waterloo Rd was unveiled on Saturday

Worcestershire-born Elgar named Variation 10 of his 1899 Variations on an Original Theme (Enigma) "Dorabella", as a dedication to her.

The Wolverhampton Society has been installing plaques in the city since 1983, with a tally of nearly 120 so far.

Other plaques honour Wolverhampton residents such as Sir Charles Wheeler, a twentieth-century sculptor, Alice Kipling, a poet and mother of the author Rudyard Kipling, and local entrepreneurs.

Some plaques commemorate historic events, with one in Queen Square marking where Queen Victoria made a rare public appearance in 1866, having mostly withdrawn from such events after the death of Prince Albert.

“Wolverhampton is really bad at promoting itself - there are lots of people from Wolverhampton who should be famous,” Mr Dungar said.

“The blue plaques help with that.”