To celebrate pioneering women connected with our waterways, we pay a visit to Stoke Bruerne to find out about the Idle Women movement of the 1940s. Featuring Kate Doddington, whose great aunt was an ‘Idle Woman’, and Heather Wastie and Kate Saffin.

Idle Women of the Waterways

The Ways of Water is a podcast series exploring and celebrating our English waterways through themes of art, poetry, ecology, folk heritage, industrial history, music, wellbeing and the deep mysteries of water itself. It aims to shine a light on our personal relationship with waterways, from those who it inspires creatively to those who work with or on water, and not forgetting the community spirit and important work of those who are currently fighting to protect our waterways from pollution and misuse.   Guests include poets Ian Macmillan and Will Burns, musicians Grasscut and Lorraine Bowen, singer Sam Lee, festival organiser Joanna Cherry, the people of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, ‘the last bargee’ Alice Lapworth, head of research for QI John Mitchinson and nature writers  Tristam Gooley and Chris Yates.  It is presented by David Bramwell, with the occasional guest appearances from the inimitable John Shuttleworth and his neighbour Ken.

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The Ways of Water is a podcast series exploring and celebrating our English waterways through themes of art, poetry, ecology, folk heritage, industrial history, music, wellbeing and the deep mysteries of water itself. It aims to shine a light on our personal relationship with waterways, from those who it inspires creatively to those who work with or on water, and not forgetting the community spirit and important work of those who are currently fighting to protect our waterways from pollution and misuse. Guests include poets Ian Macmillan and Will Burns, musicians Grasscut and Lorraine Bowen, singer Sam Lee, festival organiser Joanna Cherry, the people of Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, ‘the last bargee’ Alice Lapworth, head of research for QI John Mitchinson and nature writers Tristam Gooley and Chris Yates. It is presented by David Bramwell, with the occasional guest appearances from the inimitable John Shuttleworth and his neighbour Ken.

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Idle Women of the Waterways

Idle Women of the Waterways