The notorious women of the tour’s title range from the well-known, such as Biba designer Barbara Hulanicki, to the more obscure, such as Rachel Beer, the first female newspaper editor, or volunteer police officer Margaret Damer Dawson, whose female troops were denied batons so broke up riots with their umbrellas.
Guide Louise Peskett is usually fond of her subjects, but commented: “I tried to find something interesting to tell you about this princess, but she was actually quite dutiful and boring. So let’s talk about corsets!”
Queen’s Park was actually named not for Queen Victoria, but Queen Adelaide, while Kemptown was also home to a legend of British witchcraft, with a blue plaque on her council house.
Although the tour overran slightly, and our guide occasionally had to refer to her notes to confirm dates, it was still fascinating to see pictures of the women being discussed. The contrast between Lady Dorothy Mills as a languid socialite, and a few years later as a bright-eyed explorer with a sideline in racy science fiction, was remarkable.
This fascinating tour is a wonderful way to explore the area, discovering architectural features, blue plaques, narrow twittens and quiet mews streets for the first time.
Four stars
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