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"The women of Nottingham are legendary -
everyone knows theyÂ’re the prettiest in the country - and there
are more of us that elsewhere! " says producer Sarah Julian
(who lives in Nottingham, funnily enough).
A special programme called ‘Nottingham - a
womanÂ’s place' will explore the origins of these legend, and
meet the women behind them.
The reason these sayings came about seems to be
down to the high numbers of working women in Nottingham - industries
like lace, tobacco, pharmaceuticals employ lots of women, who were
earning money and looking good - giving rise to names like the ‘player’s
angelsÂ’, the glamourous young women at the Players tobacco
factory.
The programme looks at why the legend came about
and whether itÂ’s these working class women who gave Nottingham
itÂ’s special spirit.
We meet the players angels and the lace girls, follow a hen night
and meet a modern day Nottingham business woman to contrast the
experiences of older and younger women.
Jenny Swindells takes walks around the city highlighting
womenÂ’s impact in Nottingham.
Listen to Jenny Swindells explaining women's impact on the city
(28k).
Eva Broughton, who now lives in Clifton, was one of the ‘players
angelsÂ’ in the 1940Â’s. She said they were well known for
being glamourous.
Listen to Eva Broughton talk about the 'players angels' (28k).
These days young women are more likely to flock here for a good
night out, particularly for hen nights, the city has become one
of the most popular places in the country for hen nights.
Mike Knight, owner of the Palais nightclub in
Nottingham, says hen nights are still very popular.
Listen to Mike Knight discussing hen nights in the city (28k).
And Sarah Julian who produced the programme for
Sense of Place experienced a hen night first hand:
"I thought that following a hen night around Nottingham would
make great (if rather unusual radio). I found a group of willing
girls who were from all around the country but chose Nottingham
because it was central and has such vibrant nightlife.
"I watched them getting ready, drinking in
the bar and dancing at the Palais. IÂ’m no stranger to girlsÂ’
nights out but I wasnÂ’t prepared for these girls marching around
the city, shouting and singing through the streets!"
Listen to the hen party sing (28k).
The programme also looks at working women today
- Are things very different for working women today?
Madi Sharma is a businesswoman in the city, she
says it wasnÂ’t easy for her to make it in business.
Listen to Madi Sharma describe how she built her business (28k).
Listen to the audio
documentary >>>
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