"To my mind there has been no age like the present one. To be able to carve out a career for oneself without the feeling of a sex barrier is a joy and a delight." Laura Annie Willson The Sunday Times, 1927
The canal towpath at Salterhebble in Halifax, which was closed for a long time while a new road bridge was constructed, is open again. While cycling along it on our tandem recently we noticed that the bridge now has a name - 'Laura Annie Willson Bridge'. To my shame, I had never heard of this woman, but presumed she had some connection to Halifax.
A Google search soon revealed what an extraordinary and inspiring woman she was and how fully deserving she is to have a bridge named after her.
The 'Visit Calderdale website' tells us:
"Laura Annie Willson MBE was a pioneering suffragette, social reformer, and industrial engineer whose contributions to women’s rights, housing reform, and engineering shaped not only Halifax but the wider world, leading to her becoming one of the first women to be awarded an MBE!"
She was twice imprisoned for her activism and dedicated herself to improving housing conditions for the working
class, designing and overseeing the construction of affordable homes. You can still see them in the Nursery Lane area of Ovenden, Halifax.
Click here and here to read more about this fearless, principled Halifax trailblazer.
Writing prompts:
- What do you think were the challenges for Laura Willson as a working class girl growing up in Halifax at the end of the 19th century? What motivated her to try to improve lives for others? Explore the answers to these questions in your writing.
- Write about what motivates you to take action.
- Laura Willson tackled injustices in society. Do these still exist? Write about them.
- Read Laura Willson's quote at the top of this page. Is it still true today and can women 'carve out a career for oneself without the feeling of a sex barrier'?
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