Woman's History Month

Kirsty Wark presents a new series The Women Who Changed Modern Scotland. It is on the BBC Scotland chanel but you should get it on I Player . It is really good.

These stories are wonderful

My grandmother. She had no formal education, as was common in the late 1800s, even for middle class women. She married at 18, had 7 children over 20 years.
Upon marrying my grandfather, they lived in Johannesburg when my grandfather was an engineerin the gold mines. Everyone spoke English, she didn’t. She taught herself the language and joined burgeoning feminist, suffragette groups.
She read extensively and was a true autodidact. She ended up being a co-opted member of the Legislative Council in Mauritius, was instrumental in the 1950s in the opening of the only girls’ school which taught sciences and domestic science - there were 3 other girls secondary schools at the time, all convents, all strictly against science. A very interesting woman.

Kate Sheppard organised a petition of which the outcome was that New Zealand became first country in the world to give women the vote, in 1893. All 270 metres of it was taken and rolled out at parliament. My step Great great grandmother signed as did her daughters. I am very proud of them.

My grandma. A miner’s widow at a young age left with eight children. She did everything. Even the wallpapering. I loved being in her house. She died in the 1970’s but I think about her most days

My mum who left school before she was 14, married at 19 and had had 3 children, one of whom died by the time she was 25. She lived through the worst blitz, talked herself into jobs she was completely unqualified for and could charm the pants off you when she wanted to. (She could also say the most embarrassing things but we forgave her) Aged 90 she made films with her grandson and was once telephoned by Britain's Got Talent ("I didn't know who they were I've never watched the programme." was her comment)

That's lovely sodapop.

My amazing Grandmother, my beautiful Mother and my fabulous Mother in Law.

My mother who adopted me in the face of great family opposition.

My Italian granny. A peasant farmers wife. Hard working, loyal and very brave.
During WW2, she and my grandfather hid my father, a British POW who had escaped from the Germans , a young Jewish man and, when the bombing became very bad as the allies fought their way through Italy, housed around 40 refugees in their rambling farmhouse in the hills of Tuscany.
It makes me think sometimes, what would I do in the same circumstances?

I'm on awe of every women who has fought for equality for everyone

The women in my family have been strong for various reasons.
I really admire Harriet Tubman the abolitionist. A slave girl herself she escaped bondage and rescued nearly 200 slaves.
There is a film on Prime about her life.

Family, when it is a group of equals is an amazing thing

All the women in my family who ignored male manipulation
They are all clear to me now. We have been a family of very strong women and the women that put us down are being manipulated more than us
Sad, isn’t it?

I congratulate other women on their better families ❤️

My paternal grandma, she was the youngest of 13 children, went off to train to be a nurse when all the odds were against her. She was always calm, wise, confident and kind but didn’t suffer fools gladly. She lost four of her big brothers in WW1 and outlived all of her three sons but somehow carried on, she was still looking after people well into old age. I still miss her.
Sone of the famous women I admire from recent times include: from the entertainment world Victoria Wood & Dolly Parton, in business Anita Roddick (love the Body shop) in politics Barbara Castle and from sport Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Agatha Christie

And you VS?

My grand maternal mother; Germaine Greer (I read The Female Eunuch aged 14); Mary Whitehouse (I thought that she was amazing- I have always hated porn); Sue Townsend; Margaret Thatcher (a Goddess imho - I’m a member of the Labour Party); Victoria Wood; Margaret Atwood;
Carla Lane; Joni Mitchell…
I’ll probably return

Who inspired you growing up FC?

Lol