Why a Booktrail?
1914: While their men fight in France, at home in Britain women are finally seizing the opportunity to make a difference . . .
The Bobby Girls
What you need to know before your trail
Maggie and her new friends Annie, Irene and Sarah come from very different backgrounds, but they’ve got one thing in common: they’ve all signed up for the Women Police Volunteers. They can’t wait to show the men just what they’re made of.
But soon, Maggie realises she’s in over her head. Hiding her involvement with the WPV from her tyrannous father is becoming ever more difficult, and when she bumps into an old acquaintance with a big chip on his shoulder, the dangers of her new life become all too clear . . .
As Maggie and the girls work together to find their feet on the beat, will their friendship get her through the darkest of times?
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
Travel back to the WPV’s London in 1920s London
The author says in her author note that she enjoyed researching the WPV and what London was like during the First World War.
She found the Londonist website good for research as it contains photos and details of what life was like in the Boundary Estate at the time of the novel.
The Imperial War Museum was also a great source of information for the setting in general.
The Women Police Volunteers (WPV) was created in 1914 Before the First World War, campaigners Nina Boyle and Margaret Dawson) for women’s rights proposed that there should be female as well as male police officers, but the outbreak of war prevented any progress . However, it was soon decided that the recent refugees in London needed help and that the women were at risk of being forced into prostitution.
The pair gained the approval of Sir Edward Henry, Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to train women, who were then patrol in London on a voluntary basis with the role of offering advice and support to women and children to help prevent sexual harassment and abuse. The volunteer women were allowed to officially patrol the streets of London and to assist women in need, with men of the Metropolitan Police and other forces asked to assist them. Boyle herself was one of the first women to appear in a police uniform.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Bobby Girls
Destination/location: London Author/guide: Johanna Bell Departure Time: 1914
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