A woman who became a Hove resident later in life was music hall star and celebrity, Vesta Tilley. She had visited Brighton and other places in Sussex many times in her career, performing in particular at Brighton’s Hippodrome and the Theatre Royal, regaling … Continued
Dubbed ‘the Fastest Girl on Earth’, Dorothy Levitt was an early motorist who competed in speed trials and long distance races, setting the Ladies World Speed record right here on Madeira Drive in the Brighton Speed Trials of 1905, by … Continued
If you’d visited the Hippodrome in 1933 you may well have caught two Brighton-born twins, who’d taken America by storm. Violet and Daisy Hilton were conjoined twins who, after many years of exploitation at the hands of their adoptive mother … Continued
Fanny Burney is considered one of Britain’s first female novelists, writing sharp satirical stories which poked fun at the foibles of fashionable society a few decades before Jane Austen. She was a frequent visitor to Brighton, often staying here as … Continued
Earlier this week our 100 Pioneering Women of Sussex blog series celebrated Battle-born Sister Mary Joy Langdon, who became the first female fire fighter in the East Sussex Fire Brigade. Today’s post is about another woman who has notched up … Continued
The town of Battle in East Sussex has already been linked with two women in this series of pioneering Sussex women, social reformer and feminist, Barbara Bodichon, and innovative cook and cookery book writer, Eliza Acton. As a town of … Continued
In a perfect world, former Eastbourne resident Eileen ‘Tirzah’ Garwood (1908 – 1951) would be a household name and acknowledged as one of the most original and distinctive figures of twentieth century British art. Instead, as a mother of three … Continued
‘Peggy Angus was a warrior. Women weren’t supposed to be like that.’ Just a few miles east of Brighton on the A27 stands a small flint faced cottage near Firle called ‘Furlongs’. This was once the home of an extraordinary twentieth century artist, who despite a unique legacy of paintings … Continued
Growing our own food is something many of us have taken a renewed interest in over the past few months. Allotments often provide a haven of green space and earth in otherwise crowded towns and cities. It is thanks to … Continued
Today we celebrate another incredible Sussex musician. One of the first and most successful women to make the most of the potential of recorded music was Southwick born, Dame Clara Butt (1872 – 1936). Dame Clara went on to become … Continued
In celebration and recognition of what would have been the start of this year’s Great Escape music festival in Brighton, today’s pioneering woman of Sussex blog puts the spotlight on Shirley Collins, the so-called ‘first lady of folk’. When Hastings-born … Continued
‘I loved the freedom on the bike’. Crawley-born Katie-George Dunlevy (b1981) is a high scoring paralympic road and track cyclist, best known for winning gold and silver medals with pilot Eve Crystal at the Rio Paralympics in 2016. Before arriving at Rio in 2016 Dunlevy who … Continued
Sussex has no shortage of talented women who have had trailblazing careers in entertainment. Two sisters who were household names in the middle of the twentieth century and found a home in Steyning were Elsie and Doris Waters, aka ‘Gert … Continued
There’s no shortage of talented cooks and cookery writers to have come from Sussex. Perhaps the one who has had the most influence on how we eat today is Polegate born Elizabeth David, CBE, (1913 – 1992) Perhaps fitting for someone … Continued
Before the days of social media Facebook mutual aid groups and neighbourhood Whatsapp teams, a young woman called Violet ‘Betty’ Baxter, became known as the ‘Silver Lady’, for her support and work with those facing homelessness and destitution. The Silver … Continued
Any fan of early cinema will be familiar with Hove’s pioneering history of early film-making and film makers. They may have even heard of George Albert Smith, the showman and early film maker who bought the town’s St Ann’s Well … Continued
On today’s 50th anniversary of Earth Day, a movement in response to a world environment in crisis, our 100 Pioneering Women of Sussex blog series highlights Caroline Lucas, first ever Green Party Member of Parliament. In a collection of pioneering … Continued
Today marks the birthday of one of the most successful British female swimmers ever. Former Bognor resident, Joyce Cooper (1909-2002) isn’t a name that springs to mind immediately when thinking of the great sportswomen our county has produced. Yet, according … Continued
At a time when both public parks and disease vaccines are at the forefront of news, today’s blog of 100 Pioneering Women of Sussex tells the story of a woman who championed both to make a difference to the communities … Continued
Photographer Marilyn Stafford trailblazed her way through the photography world, beginning by snapping Albert Einstein followed by a career revolutionising fashion photography and press photography. On International Women’s Day in March 2017 Nina Emett, Founding Director of arts organisation FotoDocument, … Continued
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