Long Distance Clara - Wonderful Woman No. 27

Long Distance Clara from Pigeon Street (1981)
Fictional British Truck Driver

Pigeon Street was a children's television programme that focused on the lives of characters living on an everyday street, a street that also was home to a number of pigeons. Long Distance Clara was one of the residents, she was married to Hugo the Cook (who always had her dinner on the table after a hard days work) and drove around in a juggernaut.

When I was a child, I did not play with dollies and skipping ropes. I preferred trucks and footballs, I was labelled a Tom-boy and climbed trees and went fishing with my dad. Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie did nothing for me, the only doll I ever played with was a Sindy given to me by my Grandfather, she was a mechanic who wore a red overall and had a tool box, I pretended she fixed my trucks and scalextric cars. So when Clara appeared in Pigeon Street, she was exactly the role model I was looking for, I loved her.

Sarah Daniels - Wonderful Woman No. 26

Sarah Daniels - Born 1957
British Playwright & Screen Writer

Firstly, I must apologise about the picture used. I searched and searched for a photography of the dramatist herself but could not find a picture of her anywhere. Sarah Daniels is one of my favourite playwrights and really a woman who had a massive influence on the way I think, so even without a portrait of her, I could not have left her out of the album.

In high school, drama was my passion. As mentioned in my previous entry about my Great-Aunt, Barbara Jackson (Wonderful Woman No. 17: http://iamawonderfulwoman.blogspot.com/2012/01/barbara-jackson-wonderful-woman-no-17.html ), I had performed on stage from the age of five and had always wanted to be a performer. My drama teacher at high school was another wonderful woman, Annie Cubbin. I attended a school in the north of England where expectation for pupils was pretty low, in my entire school career I never heard anyone other than Ms. Cubbin use the word university, the school did not have a sixth form facility - those of us who did go on to do our A-levels had to find somewhere else to do them, I felt we were being steered towards thinking about work as secretaries and manual workers (though many of us went on to do other things), one great thing the school did have was excellent drama facility and a handful of teachers who actually cared about the lives their pupils had before them. Annie was young, vivacious and completely different to any other teacher in the school. She talked to us about travelling the world, feminism and equality. She took a group of us to a three day residential course at a university and enrolled is in a number of drama competitions, showcases at various locations and entered three of us in a girl's public speaking competition (for which I still treasure the medal I was awarded). She wanted us to understand the world outside the tiny part of it we happened to be being raised in.

In my last year at the school, she curated a show made up of scenes from a number of plays that all had strong female characters. I was given a scene from Masterpieces by Sarah Daniels, I played a social worker called Rowena who was visiting one of her clients, a prostitute called Hillary. I wasn't given the full play, just that scene, which I loved. I thought my character was strong and interesting. And my teacher spoke so passionately about it... the name of the play stuck in my head.

A few years later, I was studying performing arts and looking for pieces with a powerful message and once again, strong female characters. Masterpieces popped back into my head and I headed off to buy a copy of the script from a local book shop.

There are very few things you will read that will actually change your life but as I sat an read Masterpieces as a woman in my early twenties, I came to a few realisations about the world. About the objectification of women and how some men perceive women. It changed my attitude towards the media, the way women are pictured in magazines and it made me angry about sections of our society. For writing that play, for giving me that window into a life I knew nothing about, I am so grateful for Sarah Daniels and have been in awe of her ever since.

Masterpieces, is of course, not her only work. She has wrote several that focus on a strong female message covering violence, sexual abuse and oppression, two volumes of her plays have been published - I have not read them all but have been impressed by those that I have. Sarah has also written for television, including episodes of Eastenders, Grange Hill and Holby City.

With her late civil-partner, Claire Walton (who died in 2009), Sarah has been actively involved in promoting social justice, equal opportunities and education.

Josephine Baker - Wonderful Woman No. 25

Josephine Baker - 1906-1975
African-American-French Singer, Dancer, Spy and Political Activist

Added to the album by a wonderful man called Owain.

A fascinating, amazing woman.
Owain

I have to agree with Owain's comment about Josephine Baker, fascinating is possibly the most accurate word to describe the lady who was at the forefront of so many events that changed the world. I have considered that it might be difficult to write about the suggested additions to the album, other people's influences and inspirations, often suggested without an explanation... I have no such worries about writing about this wonderful woman, a woman whose existence should be inspirational to all.

Born in the United States, with grandparents who had been enslaved, Josephine Baker (born Freda Josephine McDonald) had a turbulent early life. At the age of eight whilst still in school, she worked for a white woman who abused her by burning her hands for putting too much soap in the laundry. It was at a time that such appalling behaviour was tolerated - white woman good, black girl bad. At the age of twelve, Josephine had left school and was living on the streets of St. Louis, dancing on street corners for money to feed herself.

The most sensational woman I ever saw.
Ernest Hemmingway

It was whilst performing her street dances that her talent was spotted and she was recruited to work in a vaudeville show. She became hugely successful in the United States, billed as "The Highest Paid Chorus Girl in Vaudeville". In 1925, Josephine performed in Paris, France for the first time, opening at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. She became an overnight star in Paris and fitted well with the new-wave of art-deco culture following the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, she modelled the look of the day and was considered a muse for the creatives of the time, such as Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Christian Dior. She adopted France as her homeland, later marrying a Frenchman and becoming a French citizen.

I swear in all my life I have never, and probably never shall see again, such a spectacular singer and performer."
Shirley Bassey, Another Wonderful Woman

By the outbreak of the second World War, Josephine was a dedicated French national and understood Hitler's stance on race, not only was she black, her French husband was also Jewish. She performed and frequented parties that were attended by German, Japanese and Italian political workers and supporters, none suspected that the star of the show they saw in a Parisian café would be reporting back to the French government any secrets she happened to have overheard. Later, when Paris was invaded by the Germans, Josephine fled Paris to her summer home in the south where she aided and homed Belgian refugees, her profession allowed her to continue to travel throughout neutral European countries and in this time, Josephine worked for the French Resistance by carrying secret documents written within her music sheets and pinned notes to her underwear. After the war, General Charles de Gaulle noted and thanked Josephine for her efforts with a number of military decorations.

You may think that after the war, Josephine had done her bit for making the world a better place and settled back into café culture performing... think again. During the 1950s, although still living in France, Josephine became actively involved in The Civil Rights Movement in the United States. When travelling to the U.S. to work, Josephine refused to perform in front of segregated audiences. She adopted twelve orphans of multiple ethnicities, she called her family The Rainbow Tribe. She publicly admonished a New York club owner for racist treatment against her, this was witnessed by actress Grace Kelly, who supported her claim and later became a great friend to Josephine. In 1963, Martion Luther King made his legendary I Have A Dream speech at The Great March on Washington, the only woman to speak at the rally was Josephine . Indeed, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, his window asked Josephine to become the leader of the campaign (though Josephine declined saying her adopted children were too young to lose their mother).

I'm not intimidated by anyone. Everyone is made with two arms, two legs, a stomach and a head. Just think about that.
Josephine Baker

And, well, that's just the edited highlights of a life that contained so many other fascinating moments.

I cannot imagine a more wonderful woman.

Betty Ford - Wonderful Woman No. 24

Betty Ford - 1918-2011
American First Lady, Political Activist, Charity Worker and Author

It was once my opinion that the wife of the President of the United States did little more than look presentable in a twin-set & pearls, smile, wave and be pictured kissing her husband on special occasions. That was before I started to read about Betty Ford.

Betty was the wife of President Gerald Ford, who led the U.S.A. from 1975 to 1977. Throughout her time as First Lady, Betty openly commented on topical issues and was widely opposed by many conservative Republicans, who did not appreciate her liberal views.

Betty and her husband believed themselves to be equal partners in their marriage. She was a feminist, who strongly supported the equality of women in society. During the 1970s, Betty was a prominent activist in the Women's Movement and was a lobbiest for the Equal Rights Amendment. She also made statements about being pro-choice on abortion, endorsed the medicinal use of cannabis, supported the campaign for equal pay and spoke candidly about her thoughts on gun control. While her views were abhorrent to some, opinion polls during Gerald's presidency were always favourable, 75% saying they supported the First Lady.

Whilst she was First Lady, Betty was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment, including a mastectomy. Betty was open about her illness with the public, this raised awareness of the illness and raised the number of women diagnosed with having breast cancer, as the media's focus on her illness prompted more to check for lumps and seek medical attention for any irregularities. After her recovery, Betty continued to support cancer charities and to raise awareness of the illness.

I was the wife of the President... and brought before the public this particular experience I was going through. It made a lot of women realize that it could happen to them. I'm sure I've saved at least one person — maybe more.
Betty Ford

By the late 1970s, Betty had become addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. In 1978, Gerald and other members of the Ford family decided to intervene, her husband Gerald telling her "You know, we love you too much to let this happen". Betty was admitted to hospital and treated for her substance addiction and dependence. Following her release from treatment, Betty established The Betty Ford Centre, which to this day operates as a not-for-profit recovery programme, offering both inpatient and outpatient services, as well as a support and education programme for those close to people with drug and alcohol addictions. It is this that really became Betty's life work, she wrote a number of books on the subject, campaigned for awareness of the cause and effect of substance misuse and left a wonderful legacy of hope for those in need.

I'm very honoured and proud to be the No. 2 in the Ford family, I'm Betty Ford's husband.
Gerald Ford

Annie Nightingale - Wonderful Woman No. 23

Annie Nightingale - Born 1942
British DJ

Radio 1 was a massive part of my formative years. I listened to it almost constantly. I remember rushing home from school to listen to my favourite show, Steve Wright in the afternoon and on a weekly basis trying to tape my favourite songs from the Top 40, without catching Mark Goodier's voice. I used to think when I grew older, I would still always listen to Radio 1, that I would keep up with what was in the charts and not be like my mother, listening to Radio 2 and Classic FM. I now do both of those things, of course, and very, very rarely switch to Radio 1 these days.

Annie Nightingale was the first female presenter on the station, she began broadcasting her first show on New Years Day 1970. Since the death of John Peel, Annie is now the longest serving presenter at the station. She has presented a variety of shows including the genres of progressive rock, punk, breaks and most foundly remembered by me is her Chill Out Zone, where she played a variety of laid-back 'dance' (for want of a better word) music.

I am a female DJ myself, I present a show on local radio, I would say Annie is definitely an inspiration in this respect. There are plenty of other girls on the radio these days and playing in the clubs, even so, Annie paved the way for us. She has a fantastic broadcasting style but most importantly, she has the knowledge about what she is playing and can convey this without sounding too much like a music encyclopaedia preaching at the listener through the airwaves. What's more, it is clear that she loves the music she plays and that is what I want, not just someone gabbing away in between a playlist of songs they care nothing about.

I think the relationship between a DJ and audience should be intensely personal and connected. Like sex really.
Annie Nightingale

The only way to end this entry is with one of Annie's favourite songs;

Valentina Tereshkova - Wonderful Woman No. 22

Valentina Tereshkova - Born 1937
Russian Astronaut (Cosmonaut)

When I was young, I used to sit on my window ledge at night looking out into the black of the night. Sometimes, I would feel frightened and overwhelmed by the vastness of what was out there, the unending space and that myself and, indeed, the Earth we live on are just tiny, insignificant pieces of the universe, a grain of sand on an enormous beach.

On June 16th 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman to be launched into space. She was not a trained Cosmonaut, Valentina became an honorary member of the USSR's Air Force on the condition that she join the Comosnaut programme. This was because the Russians had decided to test the effects space travel would have on the female body.

Valentina was selected for the role as she was an accomplished parachutist and skydiver. She was twenty-six years old at the time, fit, healthy and mentally determined.

She spent almost three days in space and orbited the Earth forty-eight times. During this time, Valentina kept a detailed log and took photographs, later these were used in identifying aerosol layers within our atmosphere.

Once you've been in space, you appreciate how small and fragile the Earth is.
Valentina Tereshkova

Valentina was a woman who did something I can only dream of. A true pioneer, an inspiration and a wonderful woman who boldly went where no woman had gone before.

Victoria Wood - Wonderful Woman No. 21

Victoria Wood - Born 1953
British Comedienne, Screenwriter, Actress, Singer, Songwriter & Director

I have loved Victoria Wood for as long as I can remember.

When I was young, my family and I used to stay in the same apartment every year on family holidays, the apartment had a VHS and an extremely limited video collection. One of those videos was Victoria Wood. I must have seen that same video more than a hundred times, it never failed to make me laugh.

Victoria was born in Prestwich, Manchester not too far from where I grew up myself. She first found fame on the TV Talent show New Faces.

Since the early 1980s, Victoria has wrote comedy shows and appeared on British screens in various guises. Her sketches and sitcoms are whimsical windows into every day life, she is a brilliant spectator of social interactions, British culture and makes the mundane entertaining and laughable.

She appears in many of her work in a less than glamorous character, seemingly unafraid of how she looks or sounds. There is one sketch that I remember particularly well, she plays a young girl planning to swim the English Channel. The spoof documentary is filled with pathos, her parents appear but seem uninterested and unimpressed by their daughter's ambitions and the day she sets out to swim only the documentary's film crew are there to see her off. Indeed, she goes missing at sea but nobody seems to notice that this is a worry. Victoria plays the part so seriously, even though the situation is filled with comedy. She allows her buxom figure to be filmed in a rather unflattering one-piece swimsuit and covers her head with a ridiculous swimming cap. Indeed, she looks ridiculous. And it is that she is strong enough to allow herself to look ridiculous for the sketch to work that I admire about her. She is fearless, determined, as well as wonderfully talented.

My mother has always been a particular fan of Acorn Antiques, the spoof soap-opera with over-the-top acting and wobbly sets. It really is quite brilliant.

Also, special mentions to her fantastic work as a stand-up and for writing some amazingly hilarious songs.

Victoria Wood is too alive and too productive to be talked of merely as an historic event, but it would a mistake to leave that aspect out, because modern television would be a lesser thing if she had not first broken down so many barriers.
Clive James

Last year, I watched Victoria act her socks off in a non-comedic role as a young Eric Morecame's mother in the BBC Play, Eric & Ernie (which she also co-produced).

There are, of course, many other shows I could write about with equal admiration and enthusiasm. I could list awards she has won and critical acclaim she has received. It was never my intention to write biographies, just to say what makes these women wonderful in my eyes... with Victoria Wood, everything I have know her to do makes her wonderful to me.