Tag Archives: talks

Bonnets allowed

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Ellen Nye Chart bonnets

So if you take a seat in the Pit Stalls, ladies, you won’t have to remove your bonnet!  This is from the programme of a Theatre Royal, Brighton production in 1888.

It had not been long under the stewardship of ‘Proprietess, Ellen Nye Chart’ (1839 – 92).   Despite being a widow and a single mother Ellen managed to turn a £6,000 debt into a £38,000 asset and make sure that Brighton would be forever on the country’s theatrical map when she became manager.

Ellen Nye Chart NPG

Ellen was born a builder’s daughter in Islington.  Arriving in Brighton as an actress with a gig at the theatre she ended up marrying the actor-manager Henry Nye Chart.  When he died not long afterwards she decided she wouldn’t retire into the shadows as was often the custom for widows but take the theatre by the reins.  Her creativity and good business sense are legendary.  She made the theatre more accessible, introduced a wider variety of productions and performers, inaugurated the annual pantomime (to which the inmates of Brighton Workhouse were invited to attend for free) and instigated ‘flying matinees’ where the hits of the London stage decamped to Brighton in the morning to put on a matinee performance before getting the evening train back to London.  Ellen Nye Chart made sure Brighton would always be on the country’s theatrical map.   She’s just one of the many women I’ll be talking about on Friday 8th February at the Dome, Brighton.  Also expect to hear about some music-hall legends, early comediennes, divas of early film, drag artists, and iconic soap actresses.  See below…

https://brightondome.org/event/24518/women_in_entertainment/

Here’s a link to an interview I gave The Dome a few weeks ago….

https://brightondome.org/news_blog/heritage_talk_women_in_entertainment_with_louise_peskett/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warrior Women This Afternoon!

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hannah snell

Very short notice but I’m doing a talk this afternoon at 3pm in the Duke of York’s cinema, Preston Circus on some of the women in the past who disguised themselves as men to get round the ban on women serving in the military.  Above  is Hannah Snell (1723 – 1792l), soldier and pub landlady, who served in the Battle of Pondicherry, and at one point, ended up removing a bullet from her own groin in secret rather than ask for medical attention and reveal that she was a woman.  I’ll also be talking about fearless, Irish-born Margaret Bulkley, aka Dr James Barry, who managed, in disguise, to storm two male bastions in one go, qualifying as a doctor at the University of Edinburgh, and then getting a job as an army surgeon.  Dr Barry had a successful career all over the world.  In South Africa she performed the world’s first successful caesarean that didn’t end up with the death of mother or baby.  She was one of the first doctors to use anaesthetics, stood up for slaves, was vegetarian, managed an outbreak of cholera in Malta, managed to annoy Florence Nightingale, was thanked by the Duke of Wellington and successfully kept her disguise until she died.  I’ll be talking about these and other daring, sometimes sad, but always swashbuckling stories of other women soldiers (including local heroine, Phoebe Hessel) this afternoon.

Dr Barry is on the left.  She’s accompanied by her friend, John, whom she met in Jamaica.

Part of the @AgeingWellFestival in Brighton for 50+. Tickets 01273 322940.

Photograph;_Dr._James_Barry_with_negro_servant_and_dog._Wellcome_L0022267

Ageing Well and Historical Women

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This Autumn I will be doing six events for the Brighton Ageing Well Festival (previously known as the Brighton Older People’s Festival).  The Festival, which is about to start on 30th September and runs until 13th October, describes itself on its website as ‘a two week extravaganza packed full of events for you to get to, highlighting the activities going on in our city all year round.’  Talks, walks and other activities aimed at ages 50+.

My events include three gentle 90 minute walks:

‘‘Notorious Women of Hove” on Wednesday 2nd October, starting at 11 from the Garden Café in St Ann’s Well Gardens, Hove.

“Notorious Women of Brighton” on Sunday 6th October, starting at 11 from St Nicholas Church, Dyke Road, Brighton.

And “Notorious Women of Kemptown” on Sunday 13th October, starting at 11 from St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Kemptown.

I’ll also be doing three 60 minute illustrated talks in the café-bar at the Duke of York’s Picturehouse Cinema, Preston Road, Brighton.  All start at 3pm.  These are:

Thursday 3rd October – “Entertaining Women” – a look at some of the brilliant women from our city who have found fame in the worlds of theatre, music-hall, cabaret, film, TV, soap opera, and music.

Tuesday 8th October, “Pioneering Women Doctors of Brighton and Hove” – a look at some of the early women doctors who came to practise in the city from the 1890s.

Thursday 10th October – “Women Warriors” – a look at Brighton’s Phoebe Hessel and some of the women, like her, who disguised themselves as men and managed to have a military career years before women were allowed to join the army.

There are many other fantastic events going on.  To find out more, go to http://www.ageingwellfestival.org

Most events are low priced or free.  To book contact the Festival directly on 01273 322940

See you there!