Consistently Eccentric History

Isabella Bird - It is a rocky road to freedom when you are a Victorian woman


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It's time to book passage on a steamship (of questionable reliability) this week, as we follow in the wake of Isabella Bird, a Victorian travel writer for whom staying at home was literally bad for her health.


Born into a rich family Isabella would almost certainly have lived as a respectable, if boring, upper-class Victorian housewife, but luckily for her she developed a spinal tumour and was prescribed travel by her doctors as part of her recovery.


This sparked a lifelong love of going places and writing about what she saw. Which would see her visiting five continents, observing many buff young men and even managing the most impressive feat of all. Being accepted as competent by Victorian men!


Guest Host: Emma Heathcote

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Consistently Eccentric HistoryBy Joe Heathcote

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