Out Gallivanting – ‘Scottish Suffragettes’ talk by Prof Sarah Pedersen at Inverurie Library, 29 Jan 2018.

Having failed to get tickets to Sarah Pedersen’s talk on the suffragettes in Aberdeen’s Central Library and then failed to get tickets for the “repeated by popular demand” talk last year, I was delighted to finally hear  her talk in Inverurie Library tonight.  Like all her talks so far, this one was fully booked well in advance.  I took my goddaughter, Kenzi, who has been studying the suffragettes as part of her Nat 5 History curriculum.

Kenzi and I both enjoyed the talk; it was a comprehensive overview of suffragette activity in Scotland for Kenzi, whilst including many details which were new to me.   I particularly liked the photographs of Helen Fraser addressing an all-male crowd of farmers at a mart in Laurencekirk, images which Sarah pointed out were probably the source of some caricatures of strident suffragettes.

Kenzi and I were both particularly interested in Caroline Phillips, our most local suffragette, and so it was a huge bonus to discover that the Heritage Lottery funding which has enabled Sarah to give these talks also provided a free book Caroline Phillips:Aberdeen Suffragette and Journalist for each attendee!

You can also find out more on Sarah’s blog ‘Scottish Suffragettes’ about her Heritage Lottery funded project ‘The Suffragettes in North East Scotland’.

Alison McCall (WHS Convener)

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