This talk, arranged by the Devil’s Porridge Museum will:-
- Introduce a Canary Girls project, started in Cumbria, campaigning for a memorial to the munitions workers, mainly women, of both World Wars in the National Memorial Arboretum.
- Explain what the women were actually doing in the factories in both world wars; where the nickname Canary Girls came from and the risks they faced daily.
- Look at the precedents they set in challenging gender roles and social class in fashion, sport, factory design and working conditions for women.
- Consider why they are called the forgotten heroines and finally, look at how they have been and are being remembered.
The talk will be given by Valerie Welti. After over 30 years as a teacher in London, in her retirement in Cumbria she has taken on various voluntary roles. One of which, with the Canary Girls Memorial Project, has reignited her interest in history.
Sat, 9 July 2022
19:30 – 20:30 BST