All About Eve

With Series 2 on the horizon, Julia and Anna get together on Valentine's day and share some thoughts...

It's the final episode of series one, and Anna and Julia both celebrate women who had the courage to be themselves.  Anna tells us about Lucy Hicks Anderson, a transwoman who played the game her own way during the California prohibition years. She delighted her community as a socialite and philanthropist by day, and operated a bootleg liquor empire by night. Most importantly, she was the first person to fight for marriage equality in a court of law and to this day is regarded as a LGBTQ+ legend. Julia's personal hero Victoria Wood was an incredible comic talent who fought her way in to the male-dominated stand up comedy scene in the 1980s. Despite feeling like an outsider through her formative years, Victoria knew she was good at acting and writing and worked at it with unbelievable focus. Her self-belief paid off as she is today considered a genius who worked non-stop to become a British comedy icon.

It's the final episode of series one, and Anna and Julia both celebrate women who had the courage to be themselves.  Anna tells us about Lucy Hicks Anderson, a transwoman who played the game her own way during the California prohibition years. She delighted her community as a socialite and philanthropist by day, and operated a bootleg liquor empire by night. Most importantly, she was the first person to fight for marriage equality in a court of law and to this day is regarded as a LGBTQ+ legend. Julia's personal hero Victoria Wood was an incredible comic talent who fought her way in to the male-dominated stand up comedy scene in the 1980s. Despite feeling like an outsider through her formative years, Victoria knew she was good at acting and writing and worked at it with unbelievable focus. Her self-belief paid off as she is today considered a genius who worked non-stop to become a British comedy icon.

Julia tells us about Alice Guy-Blaché, who was arguably the first film director in history. Though the birth of cinema has been credited to others in the 20th century, Alice was making films 30 years before movies became popular. History has not been kind to her legacy, as she didn't put her name to a lot of her films, allowing random men to take credit for their creation. Quelle surprise. Anna discusses The Great Sandwina, the most famous Strongwoman of the early 1900s who cleverly made celebrity work to her advantage.  She rose to fame because of her good looks and hourglass figure which, unsurprisingly, made her more popular than other strongwomen of her age. She would regularly carry three fully-grown men on one hand and was said to have lifted a 600lb cannon. Brains, brawn and beauty all in one...

Julia tells us about Alice Guy-Blaché, who was arguably the first film director in history. Though the birth of cinema has been credited to others in the 20th century, Alice was making films 30 years before movies became popular. History has not been kind to her legacy, as she didn't put her name to a lot of her films, allowing random men to take credit for their creation. Quelle surprise. Anna discusses The Great Sandwina, the most famous Strongwoman of the early 1900s who cleverly made celebrity work to her advantage.  She rose to fame because of her good looks and hourglass figure which, unsurprisingly, made her more popular than other strongwomen of her age. She would regularly carry three fully-grown men on one hand and was said to have lifted a 600lb cannon. Brains, brawn and beauty all in one...

Anna kicks us off with Dame Whina Cooper, the activist who fought throughout her life for Maori rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand). An absolute ball-buster, her biggest achievement was organising the Land March in 1975 which saw 5,000 people walk from the top of the North Island down to parliament in Wellington. While she is known as 'Mother of the Nation', her legacy is controversial as not everyone agrees with her actions. Julia enlightens us on the story of Margaret Mead, a cultural anthropologist who seemed to be pretty woke before woke was a thing. In the early 1900s she helped influence Women's rights movements in America and repeatedly pointed out the racism enacted by other anthropologists in her profession. She also took to wearing a cape. Fair enough. 

Anna kicks us off with Dame Whina Cooper, the activist who fought throughout her life for Maori rights in Aotearoa (New Zealand). An absolute ball-buster, her biggest achievement was organising the Land March in 1975 which saw 5,000 people walk from the top of the North Island down to parliament in Wellington. While she is known as 'Mother of the Nation', her legacy is controversial as not everyone agrees with her actions. Julia enlightens us on the story of Margaret Mead, a cultural anthropologist who seemed to be pretty woke before woke was a thing. In the early 1900s she helped influence Women's rights movements in America and repeatedly pointed out the racism enacted by other anthropologists in her profession. She also took to wearing a cape. Fair enough. 

This episode is all about two women who beat the men at their own game - the game being running an empire and football, respectively. Wu Zetian was the first woman to become Emperor of Imperial China in the 600s, and though her Machiavellian scheming has often been criticised, Julia argues she was only doing what countless men had done before her. Now history is accepting that she used her power to build a more inclusive and prosperous society for all her citizens, while causing multiple scandals and having a harem of young male lovers well into her old age. Anna tells us about Lily Parr, the undoubted star of football in Britain after the First World War.  An LGBTQ+ icon and football legend, Lily had a kick that could break a man's arm. Literally. Listen to find out how the beautiful game was a woman's game from 1918 to 1921, and what exactly happened to change this dynamic forever.

This episode is all about two women who beat the men at their own game - the game being running an empire and football, respectively. Wu Zetian was the first woman to become Emperor of Imperial China in the 600s, and though her Machiavellian scheming has often been criticised, Julia argues she was only doing what countless men had done before her. Now history is accepting that she used her power to build a more inclusive and prosperous society for all her citizens, while causing multiple scandals and having a harem of young male lovers well into her old age. Anna tells us about Lily Parr, the undoubted star of football in Britain after the First World War.  An LGBTQ+ icon and football legend, Lily had a kick that could break a man's arm. Literally. Listen to find out how the beautiful game was a woman's game from 1918 to 1921, and what exactly happened to change this dynamic forever.

October is Black History Month in the UK, and in this episode Julia & Anna celebrate two incredible Black British women. Julia tells us about Lilian Bader, who was the first Black woman to join the RAF - but bloody 'ell did she have to fight to get there. Anna discusses Mary Seacole, the nurse who, after being rejected to join nursing crews in the Crimean War by the British Army decided to make her own way there.


Links for the episode:

Lilian Bader:
 Amazing YouTube video by Lorena Thompson-Kerr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ipnAtuBFok

Mary Seacole:
The Wonderful Adventures of Mary Seacole in Many Lands 1857
https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126795.html