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Post date: Apr 25, 2015 10:24:8 PM
"I had an absolutely wonderful time in Cleethorpes and I am very grateful to you for the invitation to participate in your marvellous event. I was astounded by the care, passion and hard work that everyone had clearly invested in the event, from the beautiful singing, the dancing, the exhibition, displays and cake! It was a real privilege for me to be a part of it and I really enjoyed discussing the subject with such a kind and enthusiastic audience."
These were the words of Katherine Connelly, author of “Sylvia Pankhurst, Suffragette, Socialist and Scourge of Empire” following her appearance at the Friends of Cleethorpes Heritage’s Suffragette event at the Memorial Hall, Cleethorpes, on Saturday 18th April 2015. And the feeling was mutual!
Many hours had been spent preparing the Memorial Hall for the event, with the tables decked out in purple and green and fantastic stage scenery boasting suffragettes chained to the railings outside 10 Downing Street. Extensive research into the women’s suffrage movement, both locally and nationally, had been carried out and the resulting displays attracted great interest.
Singer Cherie Lawrence provided the perfect accompaniment, performing songs from the era, including I’ll Be Loving You Always, Has Anybody Seen My Girl?, When You’re Smiling, She’s A Lassie From Lancashire, Keep the Home Fires Burning, Beautiful Dreamer and Come Josephine in My Flying Machine.
Online videos had suggested that Katherine Connelly would be an excellent speaker, but when she took the floor, she
surpassed all expectations. From the slow beginnings of women’s suffrage in Lincolnshire to the conflicts within the Pankhurst family due to their very different approaches to women’s suffrage, Katherine impressed the audience not only with her vast knowledge, but also with the warmth, enthusiasm and humour in her delivery.
After a break, during which the audience enjoyed yet more of the delicious tea and cakes on offer and a second set from Cherie Lawrence, Katherine took questions from the audience. Topics ranged from Sylvia Pankhurst’s later life in Ethiopia, the fates of the lesser known Pankhurst children, the church’s role in the suffrage movement and Sylvia’s relationship with Keir Hardie.
Friends of Cleethorpes Heritage would like to thank everyone involved in making the afternoon such a success, from our main attractions Katherine Connelly and Cherie Lawrence, to Alaistair Russell and the Caxton Theatre for providing us with scenery. Last but definitely not least, our gratitude as ever goes to our wonderful volunteers, without whom we would not be able to put on these events.
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