Kirstie Edwards - Community Leader & Ocean Activist

I’m Kirstie, I'm 43, I’ve got six children, 4 biological, 2 nonbiological, ages ranging between 8 and 22. I've lived in Cornwall for 30 plus years and I just love it here. It’s my home, my heart, my favourite place to be. I feel quite claustrophobic and landlocked from away from the sea!

I'm chronically ill, I've got a rare condition called Still's Disease which is a rare type of rheumatoid arthritis that affects my organs as well as my joints. I used to be a university lecturer but had to give up 10 years ago because of my health. I’m a community leader for Plastic-Free Falmouth and I run a small business called Plastic Oceanic which makes jewellery out of non-recyclable plastics. Most recently, I was elected to be deputy mayor of Falmouth!

I’ve given my life over, since becoming too poorly to work full time in a traditional sense, to try to make a positive change and a difference to my community and people’s lives as I can.

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

It's got to be my kids. My kids just blow my mind with how compassionate and empathetic and kind and resilient and incredible they are. We've had a tricky journey as a family, it's been me on my own with them for a long time, and although I have a wonderful partner now, I've been the one constant that’s always there for them. Despite all the challenges they are turning into remarkable human beings, against the odds, and I'm very grateful for that.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

Being chronically ill is really tricky. There are the obvious things of being unwell, the constant appointments, struggling for money and all those things, but it's also the loss of self and the idea of what we're ‘worth’ as individuals.

When I wasn't able to leave the house and I hadn't yet found my place again it was really difficult when people asked ‘What do you do?’ ‘Oh I'm a single mother on benefits’ and that societal shift in how people perceive you is really quite profound, and I found it really difficult. I had been an academic, and I wasn't suddenly a different person just because I was chronically ill through no fault of my own; so that was really challenging.

I started writing a blog about how it feels to be chronically ill and the challenges of societal perceptions. My mental health wasn’t great and I started just going for short walks and picking up litter and listening to motivational podcasts. That just grew and gave me the confidence to keep taking that one step further, and fast-forward five years and I’m a leader in my community, I've written articles for all sorts of different publications, I’ve co-written a book with my Dad, and I've still got a book in me about my story.

It’s all about bringing balance, as I wanted to give something back. I felt like I was taking a lot from the NHS in terms of benefits, even though actually it's not very much to live on, but I wanted to balance those scales and give back. I just want to make a bloody difference! I just care!

3. What do you owe your mother?

She taught me to be incredibly strong and resilient and adaptable and versatile. She's also chronically ill and has had a lot of challenges within her life, and she showed me how to be strong and how to never bloody quit. Never give up no matter what, even when you're scrapping at the bottom of the heap and you feel like you never gonna get out, just to keep pushing. She’s been a wonderful teacher in that.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

I’m so lucky to be surrounded by strong, incredible women. My Mum, and my Nan, she was a constant source of inspiration to me. Also stand-out people like Michelle Obama and the journey that she came on is so admirable. Local people: there's Lizzi Larbalestier who has dedicated her life to making positive environmental impacts. Rachel Yates down in Penzance, Claire Wallerstein and her team working on climate change. Cornwall is full of incredibly inspiring women but I’m also very lucky to be inspired by my close friends.

5. What are you reading?

I always have two or three books on the go but am really enjoying Matt Haig at the moment, and I’m reading Michelle Obama’s ‘Becoming’. It’s nice to have factual alongside escapism.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I’m deputy mayor, and it really annoys me when people call me ‘mayoress’ and people assume that I’m the other mayor’s sidekick! The old boys network is alive and kicking, let’s make no bones about that!

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Equality – in everything! Including for the LBGTQ community. I don’t think our work is done until love is love. I have to have faith that I will see seismic changes, so much has changed already, and we mustn’t forget that, but there is still a long way to go.

8. Describe your perfect day?

A moment to be left alone in peace and quiet!!

Waking up having slept under the stars on the coast, having breakfast on the fire, then a paddleboard adventure, stopping to explore as I go. Later in the day meeting up with good friends and good people. Finishing off with shooting stars! Simple pleasures.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

The bal maidens always jump out at me as a Cornish icon that we should probably pay more attention to! Women in the fishing and mining industries. Unsung heroes who really make quite big changes in their communities by being very ‘normal’ and humble and cracking on. Maybe a lovely group statue of women working the land? Picking up litter?!

10. Give us a tip?

Something I've tried to live by as I've got older is the ‘Rule of Five’. When you're finding something really difficult and upsetting and you don't know if you're gonna get through it, ask: Will it matter in five minutes? Will it matter in five hours? 5 days? 5 weeks? 5 months? 5 years? Try and get some perspective on the hard things in life, because life is bloody difficult and very few people have an easy path. I’ve decided to share my story more because I think that it's important that we all see how tough life is even if it looks like everything's okay, and maybe that will teach people a little bit more empathy and to be a bit kinder. Be kind and remember the rule of five!

Sarah Jane Humphrey - Botanical Illustrator

Botanical Illustrator and Business Owner, Sarah Jane Humphrey

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Navigating my way through some difficult times and emerging with my own business, a published book and 3 RHS medals for my Botanical Illustrations.

What motivates you to do what you do?

Passion; I love my work as a Botanical Illustrator and there is never a day goes by where I don't feel inspired to create. Whether that be for the love of drawing and painting or with a with a greater picture to make bigger changes, such as addressing subjects such as climate change or connecting with nature through my art.

What do you owe your mother?

My Mum taught me so much about the natural world from a very early age, encouraging my curiosity for looking closely and enjoying and observing. She also has a beautiful and quiet resilience and incredible strength, which I never really saw until I was older, it's inspiring.

Which women inspire you and why?

Marianne North, the way she was driven through her passion to discover new plants to paint. Her tenacity to travel alone to previously unknown destinations and achieving such a body of paintings and research from these trips that she became a pioneer of her time.

Sylvia Earle, driven by her love of the ocean and strong desire to observe and protect it. I think she has shown amazing strength and courage to pursue her dreams in what was formerly a man’s world, pushing boundaries, breaking records and being a formidable role model.

What are you reading?

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, and Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I studied Technical Illustration for 2 years before my degree, this was historically a men's career to go into at the time, just myself and one other woman finished the course, I was awarded a distinction for this qualification. I have also lost count of how many times I have been told by men in powerful positions that I can't do something or made to feel that my voice is meaningless, my knowledge has been my power. In many of these situations I have used my brain and grit to find a way around these hurdles to get what is fair and should be an equal right.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

I think there needs to be a lot more done to make women feel safe and heard. I also think we need to bring up our sons to respecting women and allowing them a balanced equality.

Describe your perfect day.

Dipping in and out of the sea, a sketchbook close to hand and long sunshiny days.

We’ve noticed there really aren’t many statues of Women around Cornwall – who would you like to see remembered?

I would love to see Dame Barbara Hepworth, who I have tenuous family artistic links to or Rowena Cade, Daphne Du Maurier there are so many!

Give us a tip?

Be yourself, don't let a lifetime pass you by before you discover who you really are.

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About Sarah

Inspired by nature and fascinated by hyper-realism in art, Sarah has published books, won medals for her artwork and regularly takes on commissions from high-profile and local brands. Her bricks and mortar shop ‘Botanical Atelier’ is a gem of Falmouth high street, and she also hosts botanical illustration workshops to share her skills.

Elizabeth Dale - writer, researcher & Cornish Bird Blogger

Elizabeth Dale, of the Cornish Bird history blog

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

If you had asked me this ten years ago I would have probably said crossing the Sahara desert or climbing a volcano in flip-flops but these days my life is far more focused on Cornish horizons. It has been a dream of mine for a long time to make a living from writing and I am (very) slowly working my way towards that, which is amazing and very satisfying. But to be honest, completing my degree and getting a First at age 40 was an incredibly proud moment for me.

What motivates you to do what you do?

I grew up feeling deeply connected to where I was from, to the farm where my family have lived for generations but also to Cornwall as a whole. However I realised how little I really knew about my own history, my own Cornish culture. We were never taught about any of it at school and I thought that I couldn’t be the only one missing that knowledge, that connection to our shared past, so I set out to try and change that. My writing and my blog is about bringing together the lesser known stories of Cornish history and Cornish folk and sharing that with anyone who is interested, because if we don’t record those stories they will be lost forever and a little piece of ourselves will be lost too.

What do you owe your mother?

Simply put I probably owe my mother everything, she is the silent support that holds everything together. She taught me the importance of kindness from an early age but also the importance of hard work and standing on your own two feet.

Which women inspire you and why?

I am very fortunate to have some truly amazing female friends who make my life better in every way. We are all very different, we all bring something different to the table but they have taught me to have faith in myself, to be who I want to be with no apologies, and that you really can choose your family.

I also love history, for anyone who reads my writing you will know that that is my main focus, but what I am really obsessed with is the lives of ordinary people from the past. I spend much of my time trawling through newspaper archives hunting down some strange story or other, and I find that as a general rule women from the past are mostly completely invisible, just secondary to the main action. Very often women only come into focus because they have done something shocking or criminal! But I love discovering the stories of these women, the rare ones that step out from the shadows, and the window their lives give us into the past. For example, I have been researching prostitution in 19th century Cornwall for a number of years now, gathering as much information as I can about certain individuals’ lives because they are just as worthy of being remembered as any queen or duchess.

Oh and Mary Beard is a bit of a hero of mine!

What are you reading?

I am always reading about ten books at the same time! I was recently sent a copy of Strange Waters by Jackie Taylor, which is a collection of short stories set in Cornwall. And beside my bed I have the new book by Alice Roberts which is about prehistoric burials, and also Des Hannigan’s latest – The Shoal Ground, I just love his writing and he has been very supportive of me.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I am very lucky that I can’t really think of many occasions where my gender has been an issue. I am pretty stubborn and very little will stop me from doing what I want to do once I set my mind to something. I grew up in a house where everyone mucked in together, although having said that I wasn’t really allowed to drive a tractor!

Earlier in my life I worked and travelled a great deal in countries where women’s status in society is quite different from our own here in Europe, where I was treated very differently from how my partner was as a man, where expectations of what I should or should not being doing or saying or how I should behave were fairly frustrating for me, and that made me incredibly grateful for the progress we have made. But that’s not to say that we don’t have further to go of course.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

By looking out for each other, supporting each other and not allowing misogyny to go unchallenged. By building stronger communities, and putting more women in authority positions, that would be a start.

Describe your perfect day.

Probably walking alone on Bodmin Moor, I just love it up there, the space, the peace and those wide horizons. I find myself walking along with a stupid grin on my face. I’d need a flask of tea in the winter and a cheese sandwich of course.

We’ve noticed there really aren’t many statues of Women around Cornwall – who would you like to see remembered?

Emily Hobhouse comes to mind straight away, for her humanitarian work during the Boar War and amongst Cornish miners. She is fondly remembered in South Africa but the newspapers here didn’t even report her death.

And alternatively I have always loved the story of Mary Kelynack who famously walked from Penzance to London to see the Great Exhibition in 1851. She was rather elderly at the time, her real age is hotly debated, and she caused a bit of a stir, even having tea with the Lord Mayor. I know she may not seem like she deserves the same recognition as Emily Hobhouse but I just think she embodies a certain Cornish spirit of single-mindedness, curiosity and adventure.

Give us a tip?

I’m not very good at those fun comedy tips so I’ll just say: Regret nothing. Everything that happens, good or bad, teaches us something, I know it is easily said but I really believe we should never regret the choices we make, however its turns out, because we made that decision for the right reasons at the time.

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About Elizabeth

Elizabeth was born on a farm near Falmouth and, not really knowing what she wanted to do with her life, she left home in 2000 and spent roughly ten years travelling to more than 50 countries with her partner, doing all kinds of crazy jobs to get by. When she returned to Cornwall she worked for a while with an antique dealer, learning to restore old furniture, and then, after a few years as a community care worker, she finally indulging her passion for writing and local history. She completed her degree in Journalism and Creative Writing in 2018 and is now a freelance writer, researcher and blogger.

Lynne Jones - Writer, Researcher, Relief Worker and Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist

Lynne Jones.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Giving children a voice. I think in one way or another this is what I have been doing most of my professional life, whether it is listening to them in the privacy of the clinic, or interviewing and recording their stories to put in the public domain. Through books, the  migrant child story telling website or my TED talk. Most of them have been children whom no one has ever talked to before, or sought their opinions.

What motivates you to do what you do?

At a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Newlyn, 2020.

I confess that a lot of the time it is anger at the state of things. I see a bad situation, feel it is unbearable and want to act. Action can take many forms and I have been involved in various non-violent protests beginning with anti-apartheid at university. I was so angry about nuclear weapons in Britain in the eighties, that I resigned my job as a young doctor in Casualty and went to live at the Women’s Peace Camp at Greenham, where I met so many inspiring amazing women. The nuclear threat hasn’t gone away and now we face another existential threat: the climate and ecological crises. Just this weekend I have been protesting with Doctors for Extinction Rebellion. We held an inquest on Harbour Beach in St Ives, along from the G7 meeting. Take a look. That’s my Ethiopian husband in the picture protesting about the impact of these crises in the Global South. He is another inspiration in my life.

What do you owe your mother?

Both her and my grandmother were working women all their lives. My grandmother did not go to grammar school when offered a place because she wanted to work to support her family and became a messenger girl in a big office, put herself through night school and started her own business. My mother became a doctor. I owe them the belief that women can do anything they set their minds to.

Which women inspire you and why?

Sophie Scholl of the White Rose. I cannot imagine having her courage but her determination to resist the Nazi regime and her choice of nonviolence to do it is inspiring.

And Emma Goldman for life lived according to her principles and for redefining what it meant to be an anarchist.

What are you reading?

Humankind by Rutger Bregman.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I think going to a girls only school and then a women’s college was protective, in that the assumptions by all those who taught us, as in my family, was that we could do whatever we set our minds to. The first place I really encountered sexism was at medical school and then as a junior doctor, where the choice was remaining silent and feeling miserable, or calling it out and becoming unpopular for being one of those ‘stroppy women’.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

Education, education, education.

Describe your perfect day?

To be out in the natural world with my husband. We both love walking, birdwatching, kayaking…I am so lucky to call this county my home.

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Dora Russell, I was lucky enough to know her in the last decade of her life. She never gave up working for what she believed in: Peace, women’s education and freedom.  She wrote the forward to my first book Keeping the Peace, a Women’s Peace Handbook and her memoir The Tamarisk Tree was inspirational.

Give us a tip?

Believe in yourself, and don’t let anyone tell you that it can’t be done or that it’s not your place to do it.

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About Lynne

Dr. Lynne Jones is a child and adolescent psychiatrist, writer, researcher, and relief worker. Jones has been engaged in assessing mental health needs and establishing and running mental health services in disaster, conflict, and post-conflict settings around the world since 1990. Her latest book is The Migrant Diaries, published by the Refuge Press in 2021. This draws on reflections, which the FXB Center has been publishing on its website, about her work with migrants in Europe and Central America and includes drawings and stories by migrant children themselves. More of these stories can be found on Migrant Child Storytelling, a website co-created by Jones with her colleague in international development, Luke Pye. They are also the subject of her 2019 TEDx talk.

The Migrant Diaries is available here with a 30% discount, and all proceeds go to Choose Love.

Kirsty Cotton - Talent Development Manager at Hall for Cornwall

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

There was a time when becoming a parent felt like a mountain to climb where it was impossible to reach the summit, we had to do a lot of personal work and a lot of learning to get ourselves in the best place to adopt, and I am still learning every day what it means to be a parent. Getting to this place and overcoming everything that came before it is definitely my greatest achievement so far.

What I want for my child, I also want for every young person and as an ex-teacher I still keep in touch with some of the young people I taught between 2001 and 2014. It is a huge privilege to see what they are achieving as adults, especially when I see how kind and thoughtful they are within their chosen professions and recall conversations we had when they were children, struggling with figuring out the world and how to deal with injustice. All I want for my child is that they are happy, thoughtful and kind and give something back to the community and if we can get there, that will be the greatest achievement of my lifetime!   

What motivates you to do what you do?

I always wanted to teach and I think the motivation within that comes from wanting to help others to achieve their goals. I left teaching because I was tired, ill and disillusioned with the system and I wanted to find other ways to make a difference. I was fortunate that my role at Hall for Cornwall came along at the right time and that the team there recognised that my skills would translate well in to working with Theatre and Dance artists. I am motivated by seeing progress for myself and others. I know there are opportunities for artists to create personal, artistic or political progress in every interaction with a member of the public - it’s thrilling to see.

What do you owe your mother?

My Mum has an incredible work ethic, she always worked, yet she was always present. She and my Dad have passed that ‘work hard, be nice’ attitude on to both myself and my brother and we like to think we are doing it justice! My Mum is gentle, thoughtful and generous, she’s a wonderful Mother and Grandmother. I grew up during the 80’s and I was encouraged to push myself to achieve academically and creatively. I come from a working class background but my parents made sacrifices to help me financially at University through both my BA and a Masters degree. Through circumstance, I never actually attended a graduation ceremony – so realistically I probably owe her one of those Graduation photos with the cap, gown & scroll. Sorry Mum, maybe next time!   

Which women inspire you and why?

Anyone who is spinning the plates of a paid job, caring responsibilities and activism. I think inspirational women are all around us, quietly doing the work it takes to move things forward. At Hall for Cornwall, we work with a group of mid-career Associate Artists for whom we provide bespoke artistic support. Of the 18 individual artists we work with in this context (some of them are in companies), 12 of them are women and they are all completely inspirational, making work with social capital and has tangible impact coupled with high production values – and they are full of kindness and empathy, I am really fortunate to work with them.

What are you reading?

I’ve always got a few books on the go, I’d like to say I read one book and then move on to the next, but alas I have different reading for different moods and I never finish one thing before starting another. Currently I am reading The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn, I adored The Salt Path and I’m enjoying the next installment of Raynor’s memoir and listening to her perspective once again. The second book I have open at the moment is Hag, which is a collection of short stories, forgotten folktales retold with a feminist perspective - I bought this because one of the stories is written by Cornish writer, Natasha Carthew and I’m enjoying them in short bursts. The other book I’m dipping in and out of is Performance in an Age of Precarity by Maddie Costa and Andy Field, which is a series of mini essays about the writers’ experiences of and commentary on theatre over the last 15 years or so – all the writing is complete personal reflection, and really highlights that incredible live link between the artist and an audience member.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

As a younger woman working in leadership in the Education sector, I found that some male colleagues attitudes towards my leadership were obstructive and I don’t think that, at the time, I was really aware of the reasons why that was. I also remember a School Governor questioning my use of ‘Ms’ as a title, he said that he didn’t know ‘what I was’ and I wasn’t equipped in knowing how to challenge him. At the time these attitudes felt personal rather than political, and now with wider reading, education and experience, I see it for what it was and I would certainly address it differently with hindsight.  I work with a lot of artists at the beginning of their careers through our work with the New Artist Network, and I would encourage them to call out this discriminatory behaviour, and support them in doing so – there’s no place for it in our industry or wider society.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

People could just consider women’s individual perspectives more readily, there is a huge plurality of experience and consequently a need, both globally and locally for there to be more women in the rooms where decisions are being made on every level. Caroline Criado Perez’s Invisible Women is a real eye-opener, we are living in a world built for white men with money – it isn’t OK.

I believe #metoo is having a huge impact and will continue to do so, as women grow in confidence in calling out sexual harassment, abuse and violence. When I was still teaching I asked a room full of 15 year old girls whether any of them had been spoken to inappropriately on the street walking to or from school in their school uniforms. Of 30 young women, 29 of them had experienced harassment by older men whilst still in their school uniform, they had just believed it was part of everyday life and had never told anyone about it. Young women shouldn’t grow up thinking this is normal, and we have to continue to call out harassment on every level, however frustrating and repetitive it might feel.

I’m only just beginning to experience what it’s like to be a working parent, something most of my peers have been doing for a while and I’ve yet to formulate my thoughts on it – but they are incoming!  

Describe your perfect day?

It would be a dry day in the Autumn, my favourite time of year. It would start off with a dip in the Geothermal pool at the Jubilee Pool in Penzance, and then a stroll round both the Exchange and Newlyn galleries. I would then walk on the coastal path with my partner on pretty much any stretch between Mousehole and St Ives. We’d have a long lunch at The Gurnard’s Head in front of the fireplace and then we’d drive home along the best bit of road in the UK, the B3306. All of this is totally achievable so I must make some time to do it this year! 

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

She would thoroughly deserve this & also probably hate it, but I think Anna Maria Murphy has made an incredible contribution to the theatre scene in Cornwall and across the UK over a lifetime of work. She is incredibly generous with her time in supporting other artists and she is a virtuoso storyteller, listening intently to people’s stories and then weaving them into a beautiful tapestry of words. I’d love to see a statue of Anna, notebook in hand with a plaque saying ‘Anna Maria Murphy, Bard of Penwith’.

Give us a tip?

Did you know that Potato Waffles were invented to be cooked in the toaster? Mind. Blown.

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About Kirsty

Kirsty Cotton is the Talent Development Manager at Hall for Cornwall, working with Dance & Theatre Artists & Practitioners across Cornwall, developing opportunities for audiences to see their new, exciting and inspiring work. She is an ex Drama & Theatre Studies teacher and Pastoral leader specialising in restorative practices, working in Secondary schools across the South West after training at Cambridge University. Kirsty recently trained as a Relational Dynamic Coach and is interested in the use of coaching in arts producing to motivate artists in reaching their potential. Following a long journey with recurrent cancer, Kirsty is now more than 5 years in remission and she & her partner Olly are adoptive parents to one brilliant, resilient, young person.

Find her on Twitter: @kirstycotton

Rebecca Cobb - Author and Illustrator

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Aside from getting through the recent lockdowns where we were balancing work, childcare, home schooling, and missing our friends and family all at the same time as feeling very frightened and worried about the world, then I think that my greatest achievement is making a career out of drawing - one of my favourite things to do. I spent many years after graduating from university when I was getting little or no illustration income but I used that time to push myself and to keep developing my work and not giving up. I feel so lucky that I knew what I wanted to do with my life and had the stubbornness to persevere for so long!

Illustration ©Rebecca Cobb from ‘Aunt Amelia’s House’ published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2021.

Illustration ©Rebecca Cobb from ‘Lunchtime’ published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2012.

What motivates you to do what you do?

I love drawing and I also love reading picture books and poring over the beautiful illustrations. I keep illustrating because I wish I could do something as good as the illustrators whose work I love and admire. It is also the most rewarding experience to hear from children who read my books and a very good reason to keep making more.

What do you owe your mother?

Everything! But perhaps one of the main things is my passion for drawing. My mum is really good at it and some of my fondest childhood memories are of us drawing and painting together. I remember a primary school trip where she was a parent helper and as part of the day we all had to choose a portrait to sketch from. My mum’s drawing was so incredible that everyone was admiring it and then the next day my teacher put it up on the wall in our classroom where it stayed for the rest of the year and I was so proud that she was my mum!

Illustration © Rebecca Cobb from ‘The Paper Dolls’ written Julia Donaldson and published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2012.

Illustration ©Rebecca Cobb from ‘Hello, Friend!’ published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2019.

Which women inspire you and why?

My mum because, as I mentioned, I owe her everything. Also, my two daughters who amaze me every day with how kind, funny and clever they are. And lots of my friends and women I work with who manage to juggle so much in their lives and I don’t understand how they do it! I am trying to learn to be more like all of these people, especially my 6 year old who is effortlessly brilliant in social situations - something that does not come naturally to me!

What are you reading?

My mum has just lent me ‘Hamnet’ by Maggie O’Farrell - I have only read the first couple of pages so far but I love the way she writes. I really struggle to find the time to read much at the moment and keep telling myself that I will make more effort because I really miss it. I always think about Thomas Hardy because I read that he used to get up at 5am every day to give himself an hour or two of reading time before the day started but I have tried to do this and I am so tired that I can’t keep my eyes open!

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I feel very lucky that I don’t feel that I have come across any. I am freelance so happily get to be my own boss. I work with my agent and small teams of people at different children’s publishers, most of whom are women. I get to choose things like when I work and when I spend time with the children, how long I took for my maternity leave each time, and while we share the childcare, my husband took on a larger portion of it so that I would have more time to concentrate on my work.

Illustration ©Rebecca Cobb from ‘There’s An Owl In My Towel’ written by Julia Donaldson, published by Macmillan Children’s Books 2016.

www.globalgoals.org

How can the world be made a better place for women?

There is a long way to go but I am feeling hopeful after learning about the Global Goals, (not just because they have a beautiful logo!) but because they set out the 17 sustainable development goals that the UN has been working towards since 2015. If we can all work together to achieve these goals then I think they have the power to create a better world for everyone.

Describe your perfect day?

Well I would love the chance to do more reading, so perhaps a day of lying in a hammock alongside my husband, somewhere sunny and warm and surrounded by trees and birdsong, reading books and eating chocolate while our children play happily nearby without shouting at each other too much.

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I am a big fan of Daphne Du Maurier’s writing and because she spent a lot of her life here and set many of her books in Cornwall then I think I would choose her. Inspired by her famous short story ‘The Birds’ there is a rook sculpture in Fowey to celebrate her work but perhaps a statue of the writer herself would also be good.

Illustration ©Rebecca Cobb from ‘The Ferry Birds’ written by Helen Dunmore, published by Mabecron Books 2010.

Give us a tip?

Don’t give up!

About Rebecca

Rebecca Cobb grew up surrounded by coloured pencils, felt pens, wax crayons, poster paints and pieces of paper. She studied illustration at Falmouth College of Arts and has been living in Falmouth and working as an author and illustrator ever since.

As well as illustrating her own picture books, published by Macmillan, she has also illustrated works by authors including Helen Dunmore, Julia Donaldson, Richard Curtis and Nicola Davies.

In 2013, Rebecca won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize for Picture Books, and she has been shortlisted for the prestigious CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal three times.

Rebecca lives with her husband and two young daughters.

www.rebeccacobb.co.uk

Instagram: @rebecca_a_cobb

Twitter: @rebecca_cobb

Glyn Wright Winchester - Falmouth and Penryn Welcome Refugee Families

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

 Co-raising my three children to adulthood. They are bright, engaged, creative and have sharp senses of humour.

Most recently, coming up with the Jumble in a Box concept as an accessible fundraiser for refugee aid and Community Sponsorship. It is so easy! Clear out your unwanted things, books, clothing, etc., stick it all in a fruit box. (Or, contact me, I have plenty of donations to share out across the county!) Put it outside your door with a sign explaining the refugee cause you are collecting for, leave some envelopes and ask for donations. Let folks know they can take what they want and donate cash later through your letter box or print out website and donation links which they can access digitally. It really works! I envision Jumble in a Box all over the place raising money for good causes and promoting the re-use ethos.

What motivates you to do what you do?

To counteract the feeling of dread a few years back, with the rise of the right wing in my birth country of America and in my adopted country of the United Kingdom, I luckily joined forces with some like-minded friends who wanted to communicate that Falmouth and Cornwall are welcoming places for all sorts of people. Jude Munden came across UK government scheme Community Sponsorship, which was slowly taking shape around the country. A group in Bude had welcomed two Syrian refugee families through the scheme and we thought that Falmouth and Penryn would be a great environment in which to welcome a family fleeing war and wanting support to start a new life.

We launched the process in 2018. We welcomed our first lovely, amazing and delightful family in early December 2019. The pandemic added challenges with helping them settle in, but thanks to their resilience and positivity and our Falmouth and Penryn Welcome Refugee Families team, the family is flourishing. As volunteers we have gained an incredible amount as well, which we all had not figured on. Giving is a two-way journey. We will be welcoming our second family this coming summer. I am motivated by the joining together of a community for a common humanitarian goal and the staying power of an organisation which is making a tangible difference for a lot of people.

What do you owe your mother?

A heck of a lot. My openness and friendliness. I think I was strongly influenced by her membership of the New Neighbors League in the early 60s when I was a little girl. Welcoming new folks to the neighbourhood is part of my Texan culture, and Southern hospitality, I guess.

My Mom was an incredibly fair person and taught me an enormous amount about accepting people for who they are. She died when I was eleven years old, but as I age I realise how much she did bestow on me in a short time. She also had an eclectic taste in music, loved the blues and had a fabulous singing voice, which I sadly did not inherit, but I do love all music and the continuous discovery of new types of music.

Which women inspire you and why?

My daughter inspires me. She and her friends, most of who she’s had since primary school, are an incredible force for good in our world. I love their insatiable curiosity in politics, the environment, people, equality, creativity, fashion, nutrition and skincare, combined with their activism. They all work so diligently in their chosen fields. I feel competition for everything is much tougher now than it was when I was in my 20s, but they are so positive in all of their pursuits and in their bond of friendship. The pandemic, I feel, is taking a serious toll on the younger generation, yet I see so much positivity from young people despite the obstacles facing them.

I also have a group of women friends who I sea swim with. Each one of them inspire me, mostly to dive into the cold sea and laugh together. They are The Swannies and our sunrise swims have enhanced my life immensely.

Additionally, my friend who is the mother of the family we welcomed to Falmouth, daily inspires me with her tenacity to learn English and forge a positive life for her family. I will always remember after not seeing her for quite a spell in person due to the first lockdown, when we met, she said, “Long time no see!” She had been diligently studying online with our dedicated team of ESOL teachers and was picking up idioms within months of arriving in Falmouth. My Arabic has not advanced at such a pace, or at all.

And, I can’t not mention every one of my gal pals, near and far, each one inspires hope and fun for me.

What are you reading?

Against a Peacock Sky by my friend and neighbour Monica Connell. This beautifully written story takes me far away and places me in the heart of a tiny village in Nepal, where Monica spent two years for her PhD in social anthropology. And, I am revisiting as a slow read, Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin. Our sixth grade teacher read this to us in the early 70s. It made a huge impression on me then. I can’t believe how difficult a read it is for me now.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

This is a tricky question for me as I have always plunged ahead with whatever I wanted to do. I was fortunate to be able to be a stay-at-home mother for ten years, doing voluntary work until I could work part time. My husband, though, would have baked a lot more cakes than I did if he had stayed home to raise them. I never had a burning career ambition, but I don’t blame that on my gender. I have become much less tolerant of mansplaining, which I can come up against with some men my age or older.

Luckily, with the power of age I now stand up to counteract the baloney or decipher if life is too short to waste the time. I believe younger women who have barriers but recognise them more clearly than I did, are able to knock them down more efficiently. I am concerned and disturbed the danger that being a woman encompasses, and though people are joining forces to counteract this vileness, it will be a continuous battle.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

I think that the question should be how can the world be made a better place for everybody.

Equal pay would be a huge step. Women increasingly in positions of leadership in all levels of society and who actively mentor younger women. Misogyny dying out. Mothers, grandmothers, aunties, fathers, grandfathers and uncles together teaching children and living by the value and strength of equality. Everybody sticking up for one another, no matter their differences. Embracing, accepting and celebrating the differences of people and cultures. Encouraging creativity. More teamwork and community-based projects. The obliteration of war. The fight for environmental common sense and practice. Knowing we each need to actively, strive to make the world a better place for everybody every day.

Describe your perfect day?

Getting to the beach for a sunrise swim, seeing some wildlife as a bonus. Laughing with my Swannies. A warm-up walk home. A bowl of porridge and a mug of tea. A potter in the garden. A long dog walk along the Helford River and another swim! A gin and tonic and a delicious dinner made by my husband, or one of the adult kids if they are home, they are all excellent cooks. Another dog walk under the stars to the beach. Tucking up in bed and planning a perfect day in the future when we can hit the road in our camper van and venture someplace, like Dartmoor, with a river to swim in, deserted moors to hike for miles to a pub with an orchard to relax in with a local gin and tonic.

We’ve noticed there really aren’t many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Realistically, I would want the funding to go into an ongoing series of art workshops for all ages and needs throughout Cornwall. I would, though, like to see the artist Winifred Freeman (1866-1961) celebrated with a large-scale automata, placed on the Moor in Falmouth. Winnie was a strong character and a symbol of independence during her time, causing scandal by cycling in pantaloons around Falmouth with her easel on her back at the turn of the 20th century. Falmouth Art Gallery has a fabulous automata made by Fi Henshall in the collection. You can see it when the gallery reopens soon.

Give us a tip?

Smile at strangers. You never know when you just may make that person’s day. Or, make a new friend.

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About Glyn

Glyn Wright Winchester was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1962. After University she travelled in Europe where she worked on a hotel barge on the Canal du Midi. There she met many Brits and came to work in London. She moved to Washington, DC where she worked for a Democratic congressman plus odd jobs waitressing until she fell into a freelance research job. That led her to Ireland. On her way to Ireland via London she met up with an old friend and they started a courtship. They travelled together across America on a Greyhound bus, plus bus and train travel throughout Mexico. They married in her hometown.  Eventually the happy trails led to Falmouth in 1990 where she and her husband, Martin, have lived ever since.

Glyn currently works freelance for Falmouth Art Gallery doing social media. She is on the Board of Trustees of Falmouth and Penryn Welcome Refugee Families and can't wait to get back to France to do volunteer work in Calais and Dunkirk.

Helpful links:

https://falmouthandpenrynwelcome.org/
https://www.mobilerefugeesupport.org/
https://www.falmouthartgallery.com/Gallery/Home

Celine Elliott - Cornwall Museums Partnership

Celine Elliott.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Recently, I’m chuffed to simply get through the week – homeschooling during lockdown and working full-time is a challenge I’d prefer not to have met. In broader terms, I feel fortunate to have an interesting, rewarding career, actively contributing to society while living in Cornwall; there has been a pervasive narrative that you have to leave in order achieve but there are increasing opportunities with creative, innovative organizations here.

What motivates you to do what you do?

I believe that museums and galleries can play an active role and fundamentally be useful to the communities around them and I am motivated to find new ways to explore this constantly.

What do you owe your mother?

A love of reading.

Which women inspire you and why?

Too many to choose from! Jacinda Ardern and Greta Thunberg spring to mind as modern-day leaders. The Bowdown podcast and Instagram account is a constant source of inspiration to me for women artists who have largely been written out of history.

What are you reading?

The Black Lives Matters movement encouraged me to consciously read more by black writers, including Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid. However, my standout recommendation from recent reading is Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo – I still miss the characters.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I think having children can present career barriers; this is an issue for society and negatively impacts everyone. I have been fortunate in my chosen path and work with an amazingly supportive team while sharing childcare with my partner but I recognise that this is not the case for everyone and needs addressing urgently.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

I am excited by the increasing understanding of the rights of everyone: an inclusive, progressive and compassionate recognition beyond binary definitions can benefit the whole of society. I am inspired through working with younger people who are largely wholly accepting of a wider range of identities irrespective of gender that has been assigned at birth. In addition, the development of feminism which recognises and centres the narratives of black women, POC and working-class women – as opposed to a version which largely ignored any groups outside a privileged, white, cis-gendered discourse – gives me hope for a more equitable future for everyone.

Describe your perfect day?

It involves swimming outdoors, no time constraints, happy children, a dog walk, a good book and an Aperol Spritz.

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I’m not a big fan of statues: I liked Dolly Parton’s recent polite rebuttal of one in her honour. I think resources would be better used for the urgent care of those currently living in Cornwall, not least of all young parents, who I have had the good fortune to encounter through working in partnership with WILD Young Parents, and the incredible young people who are care experienced that I have met through work with Carefree Cornwall. Lots of this work has been made possible by working with incredible artists and creative practitioners here in Cornwall, so I think we need to expand our understanding of the powerful role the arts play in society beyond statues.

Give us a tip?

You never regret getting outside in my experience. Even better, get in the sea if you can.

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About Celine

Celine Elliot works with the Cornwall Museums Partnership, leading their programme of engagement support for museums in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Her work in Cornwall has allowed Celine to focus her attention on the diverse and inspirational organisations within the museum community here.

In 2020, Celine was awarded an inaugural UK National Arts Strategies (NAS) Creative Community Fellowship.

Read more about her work for the Cornwall Museums Partnership here.

Jess Henshall - Writer and Jewellery Maker

Jess Henshall.

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What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Finding my creative voice. Studying at Falmouth University has played a huge part in that, and so has the battle with my mental and physical health, that fight to be well and to find my place in the world. My happiness is definitely intertwined with my creativity, and finding that voice has allowed me a sense of belonging and purpose.

What motivates you to do what you do?

Writing has always been a form of relief for me, and a way of connecting with the world when I felt alienated from it. When I was in my first year at uni studying creative writing I found my creativity exploded in that nurturing environment but I needed a physical craft, something that could take me out of my mind as a balance to writing, and this is when I started making jewellery. There was something about its process and the finality of reaching a point of completion which was quite different to my experience with writing where I often wouldn’t feel satisfied with the end result. Writing and making jewellery balanced my creativity, and in turn balanced me. 

At the same time as this, I became disabled by chronic pain and mobility restrictions due to a debilitating hip condition, which rapidly altered my everyday life. Jewellery making became not only a relief from writing, but an escape from my body because it was something external to me. When I’m making jewellery or writing, I find I reach a meditative state either through the repetitive motions of working with silver, or through connecting to my surroundings through distilling it into words. I’ve found I struggle to connect to traditional meditation, because when I tune into my body I become intensely aware of all the pain it is harbouring. 

Writing and jewellery making are two halves of a whole which keep me balanced. They are different channels of my creativity which work together to keep me connected to the world and offer relief from my physical restrictions.

Jess making jewellery for Shadowed Earth.

What do you owe your mother?

Everything. My compassion; my ethics; my strength. She’s the woman who gave me life and taught me to fight to be alive. She’s always encouraged me to seek solutions to problems instead of being consumed by them, and to know my own power. She’s my favourite thing about the world. 

Which women inspire you and why?

So many women inspire me, but especially the young female makers I’ve got to know through my own craft. I’m constantly inspired by their passion, their drive, their support for each other. I’m in awe at their creativity and how they translate the world through their works. There’s so much power in creativity, but it often isn’t nurtured or valued. I’m a big believer in the potential for creativity to enact positive change on the world, so being able to see these incredible makers grow and flourish in a world that often doesn’t support that journey is so inspiring. 

What are you reading?

At the moment I’m in the last term of my degree at Falmouth University, so most of my reading is research for final assignments, although I am slowly reading Jay Griffiths’ Wild and savouring every page. Her ability to weave ecology, travel, etymology, history, and personal narrative is quite extraordinary. I also find myself constantly returning to Isabel Galleymore’s Cyanic Pollens and Isabella Tree’s Wilding. 

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

There are likely embedded gender hurdles I’m sure I’ve had to overcome, but are so ingrained in our lives it’s like I’ve stopped noticing, and many gender hurdles I’ve been very privileged to not have to face. I’d say the main gender barriers are the ones I’ve put up myself, the ones society teaches us and we subliminally absorb. Through language (both verbal and how I hold my body) I find I’m constantly softening myself in an attempt to be palatable, as if occupying space and speaking up were in some way off-putting. I have had to consciously change my judgement of myself and my judgement of others. As women we can just as easily perpetuate patriarchal ideologies as men, and studying Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber taught me a lot about how women must not collude in their own victimisation, or that of others. As Simone De Beauvoir once famously wrote, ‘one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman’; society teaches passivity and objectification, and each of us has a part to play in dismantling that. 

How can the world be made a better place for women?

Ensuring the rights of ALL women. It has to be more intersectional; until everyone who identifies as a woman has equal rights and are equally valued and listened to, the world is not a good place for women. We need to broaden our definition of what a woman is. We’re often given such singular, white-cisgender narratives as examples of a woman, but whole societies aren’t made up of that singular narrative, and neither are individuals. The history of woman’s rights movements have been incredibly whitewashed, with many movements only fighting for the rights of white, English-speaking, upper-middle-class women, in many ways matching the dominant voice in society of white, heterosexual, privileged men. I have no doubt that I’ve benefited from many aspects of those systems. Thankfully this is now being challenged, but there is still so much work to do to ensure we don’t leave whole groups of women behind. 

Describe your perfect day?

Morning: waking with the late-spring sun for a dip in the sea, drinking hot chocolate on the beach to warm up, then going home to make jewellery, working on new designs and fulfilling orders in my tiny shed studio overlooking the bay. I’d then make something simple for lunch using whatever veg we have in the fridge – I find these are often some of the best meals. 

Afternoon: after lunch, a bit more time in the studio, and then around mid-afternoon I’d read and write in the garden where the sun’s warmth spills into early evening.

Evening: spending time with my family, cooking flatbreads and vegetables over an open flame, our hair filling with the smell of wood smoke. 

In an ideal world, I would spend the day up and active, walking miles and absorbing myself in this incredible landscape. Unfortunately the reality is I don’t have a body which will allow it, so my days are broken up by a lot of physical rest and my evenings are spent in pain in bed with hot water bottles and painkillers. I’m managing to build a life around my disability, but sometimes I wish I could have a pain-free day to not feel trapped in my body. 

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

Fishing is an incredibly male dominated industry, I see it everyday in Newlyn, however throughout history there has been a very strong female presence such as the women working behind the scenes gutting fish as part of Newlyn’s old pilchard works. In the heart of Newlyn we’re also lucky enough to have the UK’s first female master fishmonger, Elaine Lorys. I think recognition of this side of the industry would be incredible, not necessarily a statue of one individual, but something representative of these women who have historically and presently played a key role in Newlyn’s fishing industry. 

Give us a tip?

Where you can, create choice for yourself.

Trust that the decisions you make are the right ones in those moments. 

Forgive yourself for being human.

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About Jess

Jess Henshall is 21 years old and is a writer and jewellery maker based in Newlyn, Cornwall. She is one half of the father and daughter collaborative studio Shadowed Earth, and makes sustainable jewellery from 100% recycled silver and gold from her tiny shed studio overlooking Newlyn harbour. Her writing focusses on distilling the world around her, looking at our small connections to the landscape and each other.

You can find Jess at www.shadowedearth.co.uk, and @shadowedearth on Instagram and Twitter. 

Dr. Sherezade García Rangel - Writer, Podcaster, and Lecturer

Shere with the Awen Medal for Creativity, Awarded for the On The Hill Podcast project

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

 Fully believing in myself. This might be an awkward answer, but this was a hard skill to learn and one that has informed much of the achievements I have been able to make. A version of this belief must have been present before; I have always counted on the support of my family. But it took me a while to actually, truly believe in myself, believe those who loved me and said I could, and believe I could do the things I wanted to do at the level that I wanted to do them.

 There was a moment when this happened, a distinct before and after: my PhD viva at Glasgow in November 2015. I had been living in Brussels at the end of my PhD, pushed there by a cancellation of my funding due to changes in Venezuela amidst a horrible crisis where students were being shot at and wounded in the streets. I had hated having to leave. I love Glasgow, and felt something was taken from me. I also hated not being able to do much for Venezuela and felt keenly the irony of my own privilege. At that time in my life, many things converged and 2014 was a bit of an annus horribilis, so when I got to Brussels in January 2015 and had to end my PhD, I was at a very low point. It was clear that something needed to change, so I began a process of walking, meditating, and focusing on finishing my novel and PhD with one purpose in mind: If I am going to do this, if I am going to finish, I am going to do this my way. If I crash and burn, bring it. Coincidentally, this too was the time I began listening to podcasts, thanks to a recommendation from a friend – something which would be significant later on.

This purpose carried me through finishing my novel, through recovering both emotionally and physically, and through to preparing for my viva. A friend has suggested that I leave a day free to walk and relax before the big event, to allow myself to enjoy it. I did that, and it worked. I was nervous, at times physically shaking, but I was ready. Let me crash and burn if I have to, but I did what I wanted, how I wanted, to the level that I wanted, and now I get to talk about it, awesome. Bless my examiners for telling me right away that I had passed and that we were just going to have a conversation about it. What a wonderful time that was. This was the first time someone unknown to me had read my novel and most importantly, had actually got it – not just liked it, but got it. They understood it: not what I wanted to do, but what I had actually done. One of them, a very talented Scottish writer, completely got what I was trying to do, all the nuances, all the layering, and the weird structure. All of it. I had turned so inward with this project, had put everything on the line for this, and it was beyond my expectations that it had gone so well.

After it was over, I walked out of the building and through campus in a daze. Called my family, went to celebrate with my friends, danced in the basement of Òran Mór, drank every whisky I got offered and was somehow magically sober the next day. When my friends and supervisor asked me if I had any corrections, I didn’t know for sure. The confirmation came a week later. I had passed without corrections on a Creative Writing PhD, at a Russell Group University, in a foreign language. And I had done it doing the thing I wanted to do, listening to myself and believing in the worth of what I was doing. I had done it through the hardest years of my life, with my world crumbling at every corner. I’ll never forget that feeling and the lesson has carried me through new challenges. Do your thing, Shere, do it your way. It will be worth it.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

I’m endlessly curious and deeply love to learn. A lecturer once called me self-propelled. I like the nuances of things and the things unsaid and I am fascinated by ancient history, especially that which is off the beaten track. Art and literature too are great sources of inspiration. Overall, I think what motivates me to do what I do is a sense of the rare opportunity I have been given and the importance of doing something valuable with it. I am motivated by a desire to help Venezuela and my family in the best way I can.

Shere and her mum at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno

3. What do you owe your mother?

Everything. My mum and I are physically and mentally very similar. I’m the rebellious, disruptive side of the coin and she is the steady, more conservative one. She loves to learn and loves to travel, and was a big push when deciding whether going abroad would be a positive thing.

I owe her my attention to detail, my creative problem solving, my handcrafting skills, my empathic side. My mum is an architect and artist, and firmly the other creative/humanities person in my nuclear family. She has this saying which used to annoy us all and has proven very useful, whenever we asked a question or had a problem she says: Use your imagination. I always think about that whenever I’m stuck. Is there a creative way of solving this, of getting a better result?

4. Which women inspire you and why? 

So many, it’s hard to choose. Mostly my friends and colleagues, my sisters, my grandmas. I already talked about mum. These women tackle their life in amazing, creative and inspiring ways and I love collaborating with women. In my podcast On The Hill I’ve had the chance to do so more closely too, and to provide opportunities for them to do creative, lovely things. 

Seeing my sister become a mother has been amazing too, and I am in awe at the person my little niece is becoming. How do we inspire them to be their full selves – that is something I think about a lot lately.

5. What are you reading?

 Driving Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, which is the latest book in my book club, Breadth Book Club. We focus on reading books that cover human experiences other than our own. I am also relistening to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, which was recommended to me by a student a few years ago and has me shamelessly laughing in public. It’s set in Scotland and I love getting to listen to the Glaswegian accent again too.

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

 Many, both gender and based on my status as a Venezuelan and immigrant. The most pervasive one tends to be a general undermining of my achievements, experience, criteria and/or knowledge. From harassment to minimising or mansplaining, the experience is common, and I don’t know any women who haven’t experienced something like this. Male academics tend to be taken more seriously in my experience. A while ago I was invited to a talk with other speakers. They announced the male academic as ‘Dr.’, but ignored mine.

 I had to point this out to those running the event, and whilst it was corrected, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

 We cannot stop fighting for equal rights, equal pay and for an inclusive, intersectional, open understanding of what a woman is. This has a huge cost, emotionally, psychologically, and socially and I have been chastised by family and friends for saying something or not backing away from a fight. It used to weigh on me, but no longer. This is the hill where you’ll find me. We must do what we can where we are, we must hand over a better place to the next generation. I am incredibly grateful to the women who made it possible for me to work, go to university, vote, own my own things, have a right to my family. We will do this by learning from the barriers we encountered, by challenging them, by fighting for our full humanity to be enshrined in law. We will do it by not settling for anything less.

8. Describe your perfect day?

 At this point, I would love a day of rest. This year has been non-stop, and I’ve had amazing opportunities which I adore, but a perfect day would be one where I get to do anything non-productive I want, with a crystal-clear mind which isn’t overthinking about all the work that needs doing. A day where I can rest in my power as I recharge.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

In Falmouth, I am very curious about the Fox sisters and an installation would be fitting to remember them to the town. Legend Winnifred Freeman, riding on her bicycle, canvas tied to her back and cigar on her mouth would make an amazing statue.

I would also like to see a statue commemorating Ingrid Jacoby, author and Jewish survivor, brought to Cornwall on the kindertransport. She lived in Falmouth from 1939 to 1944.

10. Give us a tip?

 Nurture and pursue the mad ideas, they are by far the best ones.

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Shere (and the Spey River!) at The Bothy Project, a residency project in Scotland

About Shere

Dr Sherezade García Rangel is a Venezuelan writer and podcaster based in Falmouth, Cornwall. She is the award-winning founder, producer and host of the On The Hill podcast about Cornish cemeteries and the stories buried within. She is a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Falmouth University, and has an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow.

Her work has been published in Gutter Magazine, Hwearf, FalWriting, From Glasgow to Saturn, Miscellaneous: An Anthology Inspired by The Hunterian and others.

Find her here.

Emily Kavanaugh - Owner of Pure Nuff Stuff

Emily Kavanaugh, Owner of natural skincare company Pure Nuff Stuff

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Keeping an independent business afloat for 15 years and growing it to the point where it employs people all year round makes me proud.  I thought when I went into retail that I’d be spending my days making soap and creams, constructing pretty window displays, perhaps dusting shelves and packing bags for customers.  I do all those things, but in truth, not as much as I’d actually like to. Like most businesses, we’ve faced our tough times, those unexpected sets of circumstances that just swipe your feet out from underneath you, but getting up every time I’ve been knocked down is something I didn’t know I could do before I started doing this. 

What motivates you to do what you do?

It sounds hokey, but making things that people enjoy using is very, very motivating. Hearing that someone likes a soap that I’ve made, or that one of our creams has helped them still absolutely makes my day. I get a huge amount of satisfaction from the idea that we make things. Making products that are sold all over the world is a huge leap forward from where I started in a kitchen in my spare time. Creating new products is hugely exciting and doing that with my team, who are so skilled and hardworking, is a lot of fun. Everybody has something they bring to the job and it’s just a great process.

What do you owe your mother?

Mum is a war baby and that gives you an inner strength that few today can claim. You can’t have a bad day or complain about life around her without risking a long conversation about how lucky you are not to have bombs raining down on you. I struggled with that when I was younger but I’ve grown to appreciate the resilience it’s given me. We had a fire in the shop in August and while nobody was hurt, thank God, I lost everything. All my stock, equipment, recipe books, furniture, everything. When I phoned Mum to tell her, her response was “Don’t worry. You built it once, you can do it again. At least this time you know what you’re doing”.  Of course, she was right. It’s hard to hear sometimes, but you can always rely on her for the unvarnished truth. 

Which women inspire you and why?

I have a bevy of actual Aunts and courtesy Aunts that are all amazing women. They’re bold, they do things, make things, build things, they travel. There’s something about the Irish Catholic family dynamic that makes women strong. Necessity perhaps.  So I never needed telling that women are capable or can do whatever they want to, it was all around me. I do remember being told by one Aunt when I was very young that the only time the word “can’t” has any power at all is when you’re saying it to yourself. 

Outside of family, Anita Roddick is an inspiration to me. Clearly, anyone with a business like mine is standing on her shoulders. Before she forged this path, we all went to Max Factor and Elizabeth Arden for skincare advice but she brought back the idea that traditionally, women made many of their own products themselves. She also brought this whole new sector of ethical consumerism to the high street. To me, the idea that the money in my pocket had power beyond the purchase was life changing.  She changed people’s buying habits. Even though she sold out in the end to an industry leader that some might have seen as an odd choice, I think that in itself was quite a clear message to her customers to go find someone else to buy from (while getting an extra couple of million for her family). She was a very astute woman. 

What are you reading?

I’m very, very late to the Louise Hay party. So right now I’m making my way though “You Can Heal Your Life” and realising why I’ve got a bad back.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

Self employment helps you dodge a few gender-based bullets, but when I was younger I worked in the male dominated telecommunications industry.  I was involved in problem resolution, so by the time I met a customer, they were already unhappy and the company had already failed them badly. The men I worked with were actual geniuses, at the top of their fields and largely happy to work with anyone that worked as hard as they did. We worked hard, we worked together and yet, I was paid less than some men that I’d trained to do the same job. So I left to make soap. 

How can the world be made a better place for women?

Women are good at collaboration, communication and community and I think the events of this last year have shown us once again just how much we need those skills. Community groups have popped up all over the place to watch out for vulnerable neighbours, clean our beaches, feed people, grow food locally and largely, they’re led by women. Anyone that can build a team of volunteers, get an organisation off the ground with no money at all and keep it rolling is remarkable. These women are the leaders we need, listening to them would be a good start. Funding them properly would be a game changer. 

Describe your perfect day?

We’re so lucky to live where we do and I still pinch myself that I call this place home. So a perfect day for me would be an early start with Himself and the dogs, taking off out to our favourite beach to rifle through the shoreline finding sea glass and other treasures. It’s hard to get to, so we take lunch with us and as it’s my perfect day, it’s warm enough for a swim. On the way home there’s a quick stop at Constantine Stores for some of my favourite wine, and then dinner in front of the fire. It might not sound exciting, but it’s my idea of heaven and I’m lucky that I get to do it often. 

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

I’m not sure monuments mean the same now as they have done in the past, but if girls need a role model to look up to, they could do much worse than Rowena Cade. That sort of vision and dedication to purpose is a model for us all. Work hard, ignore people that tell you what you’re doing isn’t needed or wanted and you can do incredible things. 

Give us a tip?

Most of my top tips are, unsurprisingly, soap related. When travelling, I avoid taking soggy bars of soap with me by taking single use shavings off a bar at home with a potato peeler. Pop those in a bag or tin and you’re good to go. Another one is to stick your fingernails in soap before you start gardening, that way when you’re done the dirt lifts off easily as it’s got soap behind it.

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Emily Kavanaugh is the director of Pure Nuff Stuff, and has been making natural skincare and soaps from the Egyptian House on Chapel Street since 2007. Pure Nuff Stuff has since become one of Penzance’s leading plastic-free shops

Jenny Steele Scolding - Retired Film and Television Researcher turned Author

Jenny in Timbuktu, 1980

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

That’s difficult to answer because one’s sense of achievement changes throughout life and pride in accomplishment is subjective. Holding a family together is a great achievement – raising two wonderful children and helping a son with special needs to reach his full potential. But then I look back on myself, aged 23, with no science qualifications whatsoever, organising a programme of 1,000 science films which were screened at Expo 67, the world fair in Montreal or, a decade later, working in the Nigerian bush under harsh conditions teaching English to young women. Perhaps solo travel has affected me most  – from hitch-hiking up Africa, to backpacking around China aged 64. Now, aged 77, I have looked back on my life and pulled all these strands together by writing my memoirs: VAGABOND GIRL, Life and love on the road from Tel Aviv to Timbuktu. That took three years and yes, I’m proud of that.

What motivates you to do what you do?

Two things really: a great love of people and also new challenges.  I find it very hard to say ‘No’ to unexpected opportunities. If I get a chance to do something new and exciting I go for it, whether or not I have the appropriate experience or qualifications.

What do you owe your mother?

In many ways my mother was a typical 1950s housewife, but she was also an artist who made me very aware of colour and light. A strong woman, she raised me with the confidence to be unconventional and wild and she instilled in me exuberance, a love of life and of people.  

Which women inspire you and why?

Women explorers have always been my inspiration, intrepid, adventurous women who ignored the conventions of the time. Alexandra David-Néel (1868-1969) for example, the first European woman to see Lhasa, when it was forbidden to foreigners.  She was an opera singer, anarchist, Buddhist scholar, pioneering traveller and prolific author.  ‘No commandments!’ she said. ‘ Live your life, live your instinct.’ I love that!  

Mary Kingsley (1862-1900) is another favourite. She travelled alone through West Africa, encountering numerous life-threatening situations.  An ethnographer and scientific writer, she was also sympathetic towards black Africans at a time when it was frowned upon. There are loads more, from Isabella Bird and Mary Slessor to Marianne North and Florence Baker…the list is endless. 

And in today’s world I find Mary Beard inspiring. I love the way she brings classics to the masses through people-focused social history. I love her quirky interpretation of art and life in general. Despite criticism and trolling, she always remains herself – cycling around with her long wild hair and practical trainers. And she stands up for women.

What are you reading?

I’m reading two books at the moment. I’m revisiting The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence. I love his empathy with the Arabs and the way he analyses their customs. His descriptions of the desert and of the people he meets are extraordinary and poetic.  At the same time, I’ve just embarked on Bernadine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other. When I first opened it, I was put off by the lack of punctuation, but in no time at all I was gripped by the content.

What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

Initially it was the assumption that, as a girl, it would be best for me to get a good job as a secretary. However, this didn’t necessarily work in other cultures. When I applied for a secretarial job in an Indian factory the boss had to get permission to employ me from head office, because it was deemed inappropriate to employ a woman. Travelling rough in male-dominated cultures could also be tricky; on the one hand I felt somewhat vulnerable, but on the other it was necessary to fend off over-protective males.  Climbing onto the top of lorries and travelling through the desert with male truckers was also a strain during menstruation. 

Attending a women’s group in Canada at the beginning of the seventies changed my life. We discussed women’s rights regarding education, employment, reproduction and health, all new concepts at the time. To exchange confidences with other women about sexuality, menstruation and relationships was also a new experience.

How can the world be made a better place for women?

An easy way to begin would be through education, starting at primary school. Small children should be taught egalitarian values regarding gender, race and everything else. A large step would be to work for worldwide cooperation between women, rather than everything being biased towards Western women and Western values. And there are obvious steps that would improve things – free childcare for all, better maternity care for all…so many practical things. 

When I was in Nyerere’s socialist Tanzania in 1974, for every male minister in the government there was a female counterpart. This applied from the top, right down to grassroots level. It seemed to me an ideal way to go about things, and that would certainly make the world a better place for women.

Describe your perfect day?

I would wake up somewhere tropical. In the morning I would meet with local people, accepting their wonderful hospitality and learning about their lives and customs. I would then set off to explore all the nooks and crannies of a foreign city, discovering its cultural sights and history. Afterwards I would explore the nearby countryside and then end up relaxing in a bar, drinking the local hooch, eating something I’d never tried before, and discussing politics with the locals. Late at night I would climb into bed, tuck in the mosquito net, and drift off to sleep listening to the sound of a tropical night. Perfect.

We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

In the centre of Newlyn, I would like to see a statue representing the fishwives, or jowsters of the 19th/early 20th century. Some of them had to cover nine parishes on foot, carrying their own weight in fish and salt in baskets on their backs.

In 1851, fishwife Mary Kelynack, was determined to visit the Great Exhibition. Although 84 years old and penniless, she walked the 300 miles to London where she visited the Exhibition and met Queen Victoria and the Lord Mayor. Perhaps a statue of Mary would be appropriate to represent the jowsters and symbolise the tough approach and strength of Cornish women past and present.

 Give us a tip?

Keep providing yourself with new challenges. That way you learn and your mind stays alive.

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About Jenny

In 1964, aged 21, Jenny walked out of her job at the BBC and bought a one-way ticket on a steamer to Israel. She had just £20 in her pocket. So began her lifelong passion for the open road, travelling rough and living by her wits, in an era before mobile phones, ATMs and the internet. Her recently published memoirs VAGABOND GIRL, Life and love on the road from Tel Aviv to Timbuktu, chart her journey from a Surrey convent school to rural India and the desert wastes of Iran, Sudan and the Sahara. Hitch-hiking on trucks and sleeping anywhere – in doss houses, brothels, cow sheds, temples or beneath the open skies – she received extraordinary hospitality from people in all walks of life. 

Taking whatever jobs came to hand, Jenny learnt how to survive in a male-dominated world, eventually working as a film and television researcher in Ottawa, New York and London.  She moved to Cornwall in 1986 and after working for SKEUSOW, the Cornish Film and Television Association, she went on to teach English to students from overseas. In 2000 she was awarded a writer’s residency at  Fundación Valparaíso in Spain and in 2006 her monologues – The Red Channel: Tales of Migration – were performed in London.  In addition to her recent memoirs, she has written A Guide to Cornish Fish and two children’s books, Percy Pengelly and the Wibble-Wobble and Percy Pengelly and Tumbili the Monkey. She lives in Cadgwith on the Lizard Peninsula with her husband Bill, a graphic designer. Her children Gwen and Jake live nearby with their families.