LEICESTER'S DAUGHTERS

Dear Editor,

In reply to Stan Barrett's letter in the last Evington Echo discussing a ‘Walk of Fame' for Leicester people and asking ‘Where are Leicester's daughters?' here are a few to be going on with:

Rosemary Conley CBE – health and fitness expert. Born Leicester 1946.  Founder and president of Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Clubs.

Lady Jane Grey – Great granddaughter of Henry VII of England . Queen of England for nine days in 1553. Born 1537. Died 1554.

Margaret Harrison - campaigner. Worked as a social worker in Leicester and founded the UK 's largest voluntary family support organisation - Home-Start.

Alice Hawkins - suffragette. Born 1863. Died 1946. Working class leader of the women's suffrage movement in Leicester .  Founder of the Women's Social and Political Union in 1907.

Patricia Hewitt – MP. Leicester's first female member of Parliament in 1997.  Honorary Patron of LeicestHerday. 

Beryl Markham - aviator. Born Leicester 1902.  First person to complete a non-stop solo flight of the Atlantic Ocean from London to Nova Scotia .  Published memoirs ‘West with the Night' in 1942.

Parminder Nagra - actress. Born Leicester 1975.  Attended Soar Valley Community College.  Career break playing Jess Bhamra in ‘Bend it like Beckham' and ‘ER'..

Jenny Pitman OBE – racehorse trainer. Born 1946.  Her horses have won events including Welsh National, Cheltenham Gold Cup, Hennessey Gold Cup, Whitbread Trophy and Grand National. 

Paula Radcliffe – long distance runner. Female marathon world record holder.

Manjula Sood – Lord Mayor of Leicester 2008. First Asian female Lord Mayor in the United Kingdom.

Sue Townsend - author. Born Leicester 1946.  Famous for creating Adrian Mole.

Sue Massey.