Friends of Worksop Station member, Richard Allsopp, seems to have an endless knowledge about Worksop Railway Station and, to commemorate International Women’s Day on Friday 7th March, he was able to produce two historic photographs of women porters.
Paul Maina, Chair of the Friends group, which is part of the North Notts and Lincolnshire Rail Partnership, agreed to display the photographs of these pioneering women in the Railway Café on Worksop Railway Station.
Perhaps you have a connection to one or more of them — a woman porter shown on her own is Miss A Newstead and the photograph is from 1915. A group photograph of women porters in 1946 showed Mrs V Caulkwell, Miss A Newstead, Mrs Bulmer, Mrs Mabel Philips, Mrs F Spacey, Mrs J Malkin and Mrs F Presswood. The contribution made by women to our national industrial base is too often understated, and these are just examples of where the women of Worksop were able to contribute significantly in the railway industry. Railway companies of today are actively seeking applications from women, as well as men, to work in all areas of the industry. Northern held a Women in Rail event in Leeds on Monday 4th March and are currently providing apprenticeship opportunities.