Today, 8 April, marks the birth date of Barbara Bodichon, nee Leigh Smith. An artist, social reformer, women’s rights campaigner and co-founder of Girton College, Cambridge, Barbara Bodichon challenged the status quo from day one and is an important figure … Continued
Books are more important than ever during these strange times. They have the power to take us to another place at a time when we are all staying within our homes; they can open our eyes to different cultures and … Continued
In March 1976, 44 years ago today, Dame Anita Roddick (1942 – 2007) opened the first Body Shop in Brighton. Dame Anita Roddick needs no introduction. As well as founder of high street staple, the Body Shop, she was also … Continued
Today we celebrate much loved Henfield resident actress and women’s equality activist, Elizabeth Robins (1862 – 1952). Born far from Sussex, in Kentucky, USA, she was an actress who, after the shock of her husband’s suicide, decided to give England … Continued
One of the most recent blue plaques to appear in Brighton & Hove honours Margaret Bondfield, who in 1929 became Britain’s first female cabinet member. Although her birthplace was in Somerset, it was in Hove where Margaret became politicised and formed … Continued
Mary Hare was a trailblazer in many different ways. Not only was she one of Britain’s first ‘police women’, she was also a pioneering teacher of deaf children, and a passionate suffragette determined to change women’s lives for the better. … Continued
Dame Catherine Cookson, DBE (1906 – 1998), the most popular and widely read British novelist of the twentieth century, had a life story good enough for the most outlandish of plots. Born the illegitimate daughter of an alcoholic … Continued
Visitors to Brighton Museum often find themselves stopping by the stairs in front of a portrait of an intriguing woman who looks as if she doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Wearing a grey dress, a red bonnet and clutching a scrunched … Continued
Today England’s women’s cricket team are playing Thailand in the ICC T20 World Cup! It’s a great chance to celebrate local sporting hero Clare Connor CBE. Born in 1976, Clare Connor is former Captain of the England Women’s Cricket Team and … Continued
It’s pancake day! Which seems like a good opportunity to celebrate someone whose cooking extended far beyond pancakes. Eliza Acton (1799 – 1859) was the writer of the first cook book aimed at the home cook, in 1845. Anyone who … Continued
Regency Brighton and the Royal Pavilion is an inspiration for many authors, artists and visitors in general. None more so than 20th Century author Georgette Heyer (1902 – 1974), known for her historical fiction. Although born in Wimbledon, writer Georgette … Continued
From trailblazing female doctors in Brighton and Hove to the first women police officers, this third blog in our series 100 Pioneering Women of Sussex looks at the life of Margaret Damer Dawson (1863 – 1920), Police Pioneer. Among the … Continued
Earlier this month, Sake Dean Mahomed became the star of a Google Doodle. The doodle was timed to mark the anniversary of the publication of ‘The Travels of Dean Mahomet’, the first book in English by an Indian author. But … Continued
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