Thursday 6 June 2013

Women on Banknotes

They say as a blogger to never never work with animals, children or banknotes that of course if a complete lie. What defines us as human beings are many things , no one thing or aspect of our personality can really define us. One thing that does help shape our character is our school days, the halcyon days of our lives for the most part.

The first school I went to was Livingstone named I presume after the Victorian explorer Dr Livingstone  , I was then moved onto another school which was called Edith Cavell a name which at 5 or 6 meant nothing to me at the time. The history was drilled into as is obligatory in the education of the 1980s, along side my memories of having to wear a school tie and wash the recorders in Milton fluid.

Are you aware that  Edith Cavell was in fact a very brave and courageous lady who as well as being a nurse helped smuggle allied soldiers out of Belgium and was executed by the Germans for doing so. And this ladies name became the name of the school where I attended we were saturated with the history , well it worked didn't it as I am telling you now!


Edith Cavell Image credit Wikipedia



 I became aware of that women were not going to be on banknotes at a bloggers conference 'Cybher' who to put on a banknote that is of a notable character and has made an impact on society mmm a tough choice. 

Then there those ladies who worked with my Grandad in a secret capcity be it from the cabinet war room to Bletchley park meaning they there are the unsung lady heroines of whom you don't see a face.

Politics and femist issues is something I usually stir away from but today I dip my little toe in the water and then politely run away.



10 comments:

  1. That session sounded interesting at Cybher.

    Ooh yes, I remember school ties too. Glad my kids don't wear shirt and tie...far too much itoning and sterilising the recorders!

    I agree it is a shame that there will be no woman on the banknotes this time.

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  2. Edith Cavell is a great choice.

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  3. Great choice! I'd not thought about Ms Cavell.

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  4. Wow - great story - thanks for your opinion, greatly appreciated, I've set up a linky for this discussion so please pop by and add your post http://www.nixdminx.com/2013/06/05/which-women-would-you-like-to-see-on-banknotes-heres-mine/ (sorry for the long form link) - that was my session at Cybher - it was a great day and really enjoyed it

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  5. I believe that the Florence Nightingale picture formerly used on ten-pound notes was taken at Derby Midland Station, by W.W. Winter, of Derby!

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  6. What a fab post Claire and a great choice. Sounds like Cybher was excellent, I'll definitely be there next year :)

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  7. Great post. I met the lady who was Alan Turing's assistant she really was remarkable

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  8. Love the idea of Edith Cavell on a bank note, but also wouldn't it be great if bank notes celebrated all the unsung women that you mention, the ones whose names we do not know, as per the last paragraph of Middlemarch:

    "For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts: and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs."

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