A Visit to the Pankhurst Centre

Club Summer Outing to Manchester

On Sunday, 24^th June, President Carole, along with Anne and Geraldine, visited the Pankhurst Centre in Manchester.  The Centre is situated in the house in which Emmeline and her family lived from 1898 – 1907.

The inspiration for the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was when Emmeline Pankhurst realised that a building being dedicated to her late husband, and that she and her daughters had helped to decorate, would be for men only and women would not be allowed to attend.

 It was amazing to stand in the room where the WSPU first met.  As Emmeline said ‘We are here not because we are law-breakers; we are here in our efforts to become law-makers’

The walls were surrounded by posters and various exhibits were on display. There was also a short film showing some of the most important aspects of the Suffragette movement.

One of the most striking pictures was a photo mosaic, ‘Women Like You’ by the artist, Charlotte Newson, which was a picture of Emmeline Pankhurst developed from over 10,000 pictures of inspirational women and sent in by members of the public.  This is the first public artwork in Manchester to celebrate the life of Emmeline Pankhurst and it was developed for the ‘What Manchester Women Want’, an exhibition for International Women’s Day in 2008.

We also saw, on display in the Centre, a model of the sculpture ‘Rise up, women’.   This sculpture, by Hazel Reeves, was entered for The WoManchester Project and was chosen from a shortlist of six to celebrate the significant role that women have played in the City. The sculpture won a public vote and will be situated in St Peter’s Square.

Although quite small, it is hoped that the Centre will be further developed and will re-open in 2023.