11am: Close Encounters: Anna Seward and her Men: Red-haired, feisty and opinionated from an early age, Anna Seward found she had no desire to conform to domestic or wifely duties in late 18th century Lichfield. Rejecting all suitors, building on her abilities and using the friendships of three men, she was able to develop her independence and literary skills to become one of the most successful women writers of her time. Historian Marion Roberts tells her story.
12pm: Singled Out: single women after World War One: After the First World War two million women discovered that there were, quite simply, not enough men to go round. Historian and author Virginia Nicholson pays tribute to a generation ‘singled out’ by historical catastrophe, and explores how single women redefined themselves to created a truly modern Britain.
2pm: The Shadow of Marriage: unmarried women in mid twentieth century England: Dr Katherine Holden, University of the West of England, discusses images and ideas about singleness that affected women who never married in the aftermath of World War Two. How did the War cast a shadow over this generation of women and what is their legacy is for single women today?