After a disappointing home education day, we watched Suffragettes confident it would be great as it was presented by Lucy Worsley who we have seen on telly before.. We love history and like myself, my 14 year old daughter is vocal on women’s issues. To his credit, my husband watched the programme with us.

My daughter was quick to declare that in her opinion no major changes in history have happened without at least a degree of violence. Before the programme started, I mooted the point that the Suffragettes could be described as terrorists.

This programme was gripping. We loved how the real words of the key players were used and how Lucy appeared to be amongst them during the action. I also loved a certain glint in her eye almost as if she were encouraging viewers to conspire with her in a cause.

There were of course the suffragists who wrote letters and so on to try to get the vote for women. As Lucy explained how Parliament which was of course male-dominated played silly games to ensure things were not even debated fairly, I can absolutely see how frustration would mount leading to more violent lobbying methods. Why did women want the vote anyway? Well, there is the concept of equality and fairness but there is also the issue that they must have felt women’s lot in life needed to change generally. That makes me empathise with them as clearly so much still needs to be done despite recent changes and a spotlight on the abuse of women for example. Not surprising and very sadly, there were reports of women protestors and sexual assault at the hands of police and others.

So often us feminists are told we are daft and the battles are won. Yet I find it fascinating how little the Suffragette movement was covered in the schools of myself or my daughter. I remember a fancy dress celebration of 100 years of history and only one teacher and my daughter dressed up as Suffragettes.

To my absolute shame, I did not know the Suffragette movement spread across social classes always associating it with rich women. I also thought it began in London and not Manchester. I had no idea so many areas of the UK had Suffragette action.

I also did not know about the build-up of tools of the trade as time went on including bombs and riots.

I loved how skilled and instinctive the Suffragettes were at using marketing methods to present their case from photography to stunts like chaining themselves to railings. In a way they reminded me of how women bloggers have used PR and marketing methods to have their say and to campaign on some pretty vital issues. These are the bloggers I like – the ones who tell it like it is and don’t just keep touting out picture perfect images adding to the mental distress of others.

How the state dealt with these women was appalling and hard to watch particularly the force feeding when they went on hunger strike. The sending in of law enforcement from other areas reminded me so much of seeing those types of buses during the Miners’ Strike in the Eighties. As ever where there are two different viewpoints, the State started getting their message across with their own PR efforts.

My daughter enjoyed the programme but was saddened by the methods employed to try to silence women. She was clearly of the view that Winston Churchill should not longer be viewed as a hero. Her comments included: “There was no need for the Suffragettes if the Government had listened. If asking nicely does not work, you have to resort to more extreme methods for the greater good”

It made me reflect on my work as a blogger and writer. Words, so many words. Perhaps they don’t have a real impact. Perhaps deeds would be better.

So the film made us feel, think and quite possibly change. That makes it a huge success.

The film was written and directed by Emma Frank so I will be looking out for her work again. In fact with the written words by Emma and the delivery of words by Lucy, perhaps I should conclude by saying both words and deeds can make a difference.

So let’s resolve to always ask nicely and then kick ass if and when required.

Forget Love Island and watch on iPlayer https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0b5y4zg/suffragettes-with-lucy-worsley

I love to feature inspirational women on my blog. I am a big fan of the Granny Butterfly books for children. So I was delighted when children’s author Jean agreed to share her personal story with me.

Early life

I was born on the 14th January 1943 and lived in a small cottage in Stanhill, Lancashire. Most of my father’s wages went into the local Working Men’s Club so my Mother had several jobs to “Make ends Meet”. One of them was to take in sewing, and I used to help her. When I was about 10 years old I made dresses for a little old lady that was as wide as she was tall. She gave me 10 shillings a dress, so that helped the housekeeping. At this time we got a new Headmistress at the village school and the first thing she did was segregate the children in her class so that only the children from rich parents were educated and the ones that she classed as poor were put behind a fire guard. If we tried to escape she stuck pins in us to stop us from getting out. Eventually she was sacked but already the damaged was done. I never caught up to the level I should have been, having missed a year of education.

Teenage years

As a teenager I didn’t have much money so I made all my own clothes. I always stayed in fashion from tight skirts made in black and white gingham to dresses with lots of net underskirts. The best part of being a teenager in the 50’s and 60’s was the music. Rock and Roll, and of course Elvis. I have wonderful memories!

For my first job I worked in a cotton mill. It wasn’t what I wanted to do as I had been offered a apprenticeship to become a tailor. I was told that I would only get married and have kids so it would be better to start to earn some money.

Marriages

I moved to the Isle of Wight when my first husband who was a Prison Officer was posted to Parkhurst Prison. It took me two years to settle because in those days there weren’t any supermarkets and the corner shops were expensive. I had to go to the mainland to buy the school uniforms for the children.

I married my second husband Roger in May 1982. He already had two daughters and as I had two sons and a daughter we became one big family. Roger also had his own tree felling and fencing business, So I taught myself to type and became his secretary. When the Island was devastated in the 1987 storms we worked all night for weeks to clear all the damage that had been done and I used to take food and drink out to the gangs that were working during the night.

After all the hard work during the storms of 1987 and 1991 Roger developed a heart problem. He was advised by a Cardiologist to sell the business and retire. We already had a villa in Denia, Costa Blanca, so in 1993 we sold our business and retired to Spain. After living there for 18 wonderful years, we thought it was time to come home to be with all the family, which we did in 2011.

Spain

The one thing I loved most about Spain was not only how friendly the people are, but the food is so good and fresh. There is nothing like buying fresh fruit and vegetables from the local market in the street or having a cafe con Leche in the village square.

Writing

I have always loved poetry but never written a book before. A couple of years ago when we were on the beach in Sandown I suddenly said to Roger “I want to write a children’s book”. I think he thought I’d gone crazy, but when I said that I wasn’t sure what animal to use, he straight away said butterflies. Thinking of my Mother, I said “Of course, Granny Butterfly”. That was how I started to write children’s books and my first book I wrote in a week.

I have self published my books using Grosvenor House Publishers, which have helped very much and of course my illustrator Brian has been wonderful and is very talented with the beautiful illustrations he has done.

First and foremost I want children to get off their phones and iPads and see all the wonderful things that nature has to offer them. One of the most wonderful creatures to see are beautiful butterflies fluttering by. As a child I spent most of my time out in the countryside collecting wild flowers and herbs with my Grandmother. There is nothing better for children to do than to get outdoors.

Apart from having my lovely family, the most magical thing that happened was sailing into the wonderful Island of Bora Bora, French Polynesia with the turquoise sea below and after lunch on the beach seeing the leftovers being fed to the stingrays swimming close by.

The one book that I would recommend is The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. I have read it several times and each time I have learned something new about life and it has helped me so much.

The one message I would like to share is that everyone deserves a chance in life whatever their colour, creed or backgrounds. Even though my level of education was very poor, I have still managed to do something that I am very proud of.