A suffragette themed walking tour that takes place in Newcastle city centre is getting a special twist for International Women’s Day.
The tour, which will run on 7 March, is back again after its success last year. Although there is one every Saturday, this special edition will include extra information about Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of the suffragette movement.
Starting at Grey’s Monument at 11am, the tour is fully accessible and just under a mile in distance, making stops at key locations around the city. It allows the audience to feel fully immersed in history.
The tour is designed and run by Hexham based Helen Wearmourth who creates and organises historical walking tours in and around Newcastle and Hexham. She said that one of her favourite things about the suffragette tour is its ability to “make history relatable” as the audience get to stand where the suffragettes once stood. She doesn’t just tell the story, she get the audience to fully imagine what it would have been like for the women who were fighting for their rights.
This International Women’s Day, the tour will have a special feature on Emmeline Pankhurst, the leader of the suffragettes. This differentiates it from the normal tour, which focuses on the lives of the suffragettes in Newcastle.
The idea for the tour came when she was researching one on a different topic and came across information about Newcastle’s significance in suffragette history. She began her research and eight months later was ready to go.
Helen does all the research herself, and is incredibly meticulous with it, spending hours poring over microfiche at the library, and even working with London School of Economics. She thinks that all of the hard work really pays off in making the tour entertaining and informative and finds it “really rewarding”.
Reviews have described previous tours as “dramatic, emotional, and funny”, stating that it was “incredibly thought provoking”. Helen mentions that people have even bought Votes for Women jumpers after being inspired by the stories that they heard.
Further information about the Suffragette tours, and other tours that Helen does, can be found on her website adventoursuk.com.
There are a variety of other events taking place across Newcastle to celebrate this historic day. These include an event hosted at the Civic Centre entitled Newcastle Women: Connected and Powerful. The event includes a variety of stories, performances and discussions with the goal of giving a platform to the women of Newcastle.
There is also a special Discovery Night’s exhibition running at the Discovery Museum to honour remarkable women from around the North East. The Discovery Nights exhibitions are aimed at adults, set after hours, with specialist talks, live music, and a bar. This special edition features an appearance from writer Ann Cleeves, as well as many more special guests. Full information can be found at their website.
With such a variety of events happening around Newcastle, there is sure to be something for everyone to enjoy on the day.