The most influential Elizabethans

Nannarose

Indeed Maw, but someone asked, was there another one?

Sorry - I must have missed that. The cricketer is of course Steel with an “e”

Indeed Maw, but someone asked, was there another one?

Elizabeth 1st

There was a cricketer called David Steel, but I don't think we'd put him in 'great Elizabethans' (apologies to nay of his family / cricket fans)

I think most people would think of tge David Steel who became Lord Steel of Aikwood, former and indeed final leader of the Liberal party who introduced the Abortion Act of 1967 rather than David Steele the cricketer!

Peter Blake

I agree David Attenborough has to take top prize for working for the natural world and the environment for so many years. The length of time is relevant I think.

David Steel the politician was responsible for bring the 1967 Abortion Act to parliament, when abortion was made legal up to 28 weeks.

David Attenborough

TerriBull, I was just writing a piece for local history about making up MQ patterns - I think she designed some paper patterns for home sewing - if not, her designs influenced what we did make!
There was a cricketer called David Steel, but I don't think we'd put him in 'great Elizabethans' (apologies to nay of his family / cricket fans)
I can't really think of any individuals, but am loving this thread.
Some women I do think made a big difference were more about collective efforts. I am thinking of:
The trawlermens' wives who set up a safety campaign in 1968
The Dagenham girls
The Grunwick women
The Belfast peace activists
There have been many more, working at local level.

Some names mentioned here, resonate on a personal level, definitely Enid Blyton I think I read all of hers throughout my childhood before moving on to Agatha Christie in my teens.

The Beatles of course! and to a lesser extent a lot of the others around the same era, later on David Bowie.

Mary Quant (although she was somewhat unaffordable regrettably when she was at her peak and I was still at school Later on though Barbara Hulanicki founder of Biba, I did buy a few things at that store and loved the whole unique look that she established.

Terence Conran, I loved Habitat in it's heyday and Anita Roddick's Body Shop products.

Delia Smith, particularly her three part guide to cooking, that was around the time I had my first home and became interested in producing meals.

Simon Schama for that wonderful series on the history of Britain.

David Steel, is there another one? other than the Liberal leader who knew all about what Cyril Smith got up to, shocking!

Oh definitely Whitewavemark2 - I absolutely loved her books. And Agatha Christie as I grew up.

How about Enid Blyton, I think she certainly influenced our generation as children.

Victoria Beckham, she just keeps going no matter the criticism and I
Like many of her sensible dress designs

growstuff

Chocolatelovinggran

Another vote for the Watson, Crick, Franklin team, although I think that Watson wasn't a Brit- but even better, the group showing that science transcends geography.
Sad that Rosalind Franklin didn't get the credit she should have, but that's for another thread, perhaps.

Franklin wasn't in Watson and Crick's team. They used her research and din't acknowledge what she'd done.

growstuff ?

Chocolatelovinggran

Another vote for the Watson, Crick, Franklin team, although I think that Watson wasn't a Brit- but even better, the group showing that science transcends geography.
Sad that Rosalind Franklin didn't get the credit she should have, but that's for another thread, perhaps.

Franklin wasn't in Watson and Crick's team. They used her research and din't acknowledge what she'd done.

Grayson Perry. He makes art which many people like.
David Attenborough. I feel as though everything I know about nature I learned from him.

Malcolm McLaren
Vivienne Westwood
The Monty Python lot
The Beatles
David Steel

……,off the top of my head. But there’s probably 100’s.

Mamie

Delia Smith - she certainly influenced the way people cooked.

That’s a great call!

Another vote for the Watson, Crick, Franklin team, although I think that Watson wasn't a Brit- but even better, the group showing that science transcends geography.
Sad that Rosalind Franklin didn't get the credit she should have, but that's for another thread, perhaps.

Delia Smith - she certainly influenced the way people cooked.

My vote for the art world goes to
Dame Laura Knight

In the art world.

Tracy Emin

Late in their career, but Tippett, Vaughan Williams and Britten must count.
Ken Loach, Nicholas Roeg, Mike Leigh.

Another vote for Margaret Thatcher.
I would have thought Barbara Castle. It was the Labour party who devalued her influence.

FannyCornforth

Elizabethans do most definitely need to be British, I would have thought.

Greer being born in Australia has lived and worked in Britain for a very long time, so I’m not sure.
She certainly feels very British!

I will second Lady Thatcher.
As a life long Labour supporter and more recently a member of the party, I still firmly believe that she was an exceptional woman in her achievements; and that she was very much of our time.

I was thinking of Thatcher, though I see her as a malign, rather than a good influence. She destroyed the post war consensus, destroyed manufacturing and destroyed 'society'. Not to mention engraining a totally false understanding of how a national economy works which is virtually impossible to shift.

Regrettably, because I know this is so negative, I can't immediately think of any truly 'stand out' positive female influencers.