Photograph of Dr Gilroy that was recently exhibited online by the Arts Project for Black Lives Matter

• I WAS very disappointed to hear that Beckford school will not be renamed to honour its pioneering former head Beryl Gilroy and will instead be called West Hampstead Primary School, (School votes against renaming itself in honour of pioneering black headteacher, December 2).

I agree with Beryl’s daughter Professor Darla Jane Gilroy that this is a missed opportunity to honour the trail-blazing former head of Beckford, educator, writer and psychologist who was also a long-term West Hampstead resident.

I visited the V&A last week and there was pink suit Beryl Gilroy had designed, and made by a dressmaker in Guyana, to wear on her trip to London. It is one of the highlights in the 1950s exhibits in the Fashion Court with information about Dr Gilroy’s achievements.

You can view the picture of her suit and hat at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133782/hat/

Seeing her pink suit made be doubly disappointed to hear that the opportunity to celebrate her life and career locally seems to have been missed.

There are far too few public memorials to pioneering women and to black women in particular. Renaming the school after Beryl Gilroy was a wonderful local opportunity to help redress that.

Was the name Gilroy Primary School, West Hampstead, not considered, if there was a desire to make it clear where it is located?

I do hope that it is not too late for the issue to be reconsidered.

ANNA BOWMAN,
NW6