The old Bow Baths and Washhouse from bathing to Suffragette meetings
From bathing to boxing, and political rallies to illegal parties, we delve into the history behind, and events that took
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Suffragettes
Suffragette Fanny Wilkinson: the UK’s first female landscape gardener who designed Meath Gardens
Fanny Wilkinson designed 75 of London’s green spaces, including our very own Meath Gardens. Citizen Journalist Kate Rutland explores her life
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Book review: Natural Born Rebel, a biography of Sylvia Pankhurst
Our book reviewer Tabitha Potts reads Natural Born Rebel, Rachel Holmes’ biography of Sylvia Pankhurst, which tells the riveting story
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East London Federation of Suffragettes: How a family rift sparked a militant movement
Sylvia Pankhurst’s militancy led to the foundation of East London Federation of Suffragettes.
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The Suffragette People’s Army of Victoria Park
As the Suffragettes began to use more radical tactics on their quest to change democracy – the West End was sacked in late 1912 – they started to encounter police repression, who saw them as a ‘threat to national security’.
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The adventures of Norah Smyth: her life as a suffragette, philanthropist and artist
Following exclusive information shared by Norah Smyth’s great nephew writer Jane McChyrstal reveals fascinating new insights into the adventurous life of the elusive suffragette, philanthropist and photographer who dedicated her personal wealth and artistic talent to social justice.
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Rosaline McCheyne: the unforgettable, forgotten East End Suffragette
Her activism did not stop there. McCheyne was responsible for the admin work of the ELFS. She would organise pitches for the selling and distributing of the Woman’s Dreadnought (the ELFS’s newspaper) in the hopes of drawing in supporters and members. And this was not as “simple as it might sound” she said in an account of a day in her life. And yet, she could sell “more newspapers than any of the other districts”, from around twenty-eight a week to around a thousand in time.
New mural of Clara Grant pays tribute to Bow’s history of social pioneers
‘I picked the inside of the Mary le Bow church because the Bow Bells are the iconic association with this area. And when I started researching historical people that we could include, I wanted to find someone who helped alleviate poverty because that’s what so much of the local history of this area is about.’
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Uncovering the story of the ‘forgotten’ Suffragette Rosaline McCheyne
‘You need the people doing admin, running the day-to-day activities. They’re glue that holds together a movement,’ says McChrystal.
Striking a Light by Louise Raw shines new light on Matchgirl strikes
Striking a Light is a fascinating account of the Bryant & May match girls’ strike of 1888 (or matchwomen as
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Written from life – Sylvia Pankhurst and the Workers’ Dreadnought newspaper
You’d be hard pressed to find things Sylvia Pankhurst didn’t do during her time in Bow. When she wasn’t spearheading
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Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Toy Factory
Sylvia Pankhurst is well known around these parts. Most know of her activism for women’s suffrage. However, many don’t know
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