Gracie Fields celebrated in new booklet on 'Amazing Women by Rail'

Gracie Fields is one of the 'amazing women' whose 'extraordinary' life is marked in a new booklet ‘Discover Amazing Women by Rail’.

Gracie was educated at Rochdale Parish School and worked as a ‘half-timer’ in a cotton mill.

She soon became famous as a juvenile performer. Gracie joined Archie Pitt’s company which toured the provinces with ‘Mr Tower of London’ and reached the West End by 1924.

Between 1931 and 1937 Gracie made eight films. She was also a top recording artist.

During the Second World War Gracie raised £300,000 for the Navy League and toured extensively entertaining the Allied troops. She also paid for servicemen and women to travel free on public transport in the Rochdale area.

After the war she retired to the island of Capri, but still appeared occasionally on British television.

Part of the Marvellous Days Out series, the booklet highlights the extraordinary lives of women – both known and unknown – who have lived in 32 towns, villages or cities with stations along the Mid-Cheshire line (Chester to Manchester) and Calder Valley Railway Line (Leeds to Manchester).

This free booklet, features write-ups and illustrations about the women as well as information about nearby attractions, some of which, like the women, are gems waiting to be discovered.

Jointly produced by the Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership, Friends of Littleborough Station and Community Rail Lancashire with support from the Association of Community Rail Partnerships*, the booklet includes famous Northern women such as Rochdale singer Gracie, poet, Sylvia Plath (Hebden Bridge) as well as Knutsford novelist Elizabeth Gaskell, author of ‘North & South’ and Manchester’s political activist and suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Along the railway line, Burnley’s Angela James (social campaigner), Frances Hodgson Burnett, children’s author & novelist (who wrote ‘The Secret Garden’) and Bradford’s Bronte sisters are also mentioned. Less well known, but equally extraordinary Cheshire women, are featured such as - Elizabeth Raffald (1733-1781) businesswoman and writer (Northwich) and Chester-based, Mary Fildes (1789-1876) a political activist who spoke at the Peterloo Massacre.

Beautifully sketched illustrations of many of the women are by Cheshire artist, Nicky Thompson and the booklet has been researched by historian, Richard Lysons who gives information on where and how to do further research and follow-up reading.

Richard Lysons, also Chairman of Friends of Littleborough Stations, said: “When you are sitting on a train it is not easy to appreciate what lies just beyond the station. Following the success of last Summer’s 1930s-style posters along the Chester to Piccadilly line, we wanted to find another way of encouraging people to step off the train and explore hidden histories, whether people’s lives or places.

"This eclectic mix of amazing women, who embody courage, intelligence, femininity and passion, was too good not to explore but so was the chance to highlight fantastic places on the rail line, such as Rochdale’s Pioneer’s Museum, Touchstones and Greater Manchester’s People’s Museum and Halifax’s Shibden Hall.”

Yorkshire-born, Dame Jenni Murray DBE, broadcaster, journalist and author, talks in the forward to the booklet about the ‘amazing women who were born with the grit of Cheshire, Derbyshire, Yorkshire and the great cities of Manchester and Leeds in their bones.”

Read and download the booklet at:

https://www.flipgorilla.com/p/25441453291342216/show