By Jessica Gregory
The 8th March brings a vital day- not just because children are going back to school. With International Women’s Day around the corner, I’ve focussed this article on women from Torquay who have gone on to glory.
Probably the most famous is Dame Agatha Christie. Born in 1890, Christie went on to become the most widely sold author, behind only the Bible and Shakespeare. Greenway Mansion was Christie’s home in 1938, which she described to be ‘the loveliest place in the world’. Interestingly, the last Poirot film by David Suchet, Dead Man’s Folly, actually featured scenes from the estate. For fans of the Miss Marple collection, her village is called St. Marymead, which you may’ve noticed is actually a combination of St. Marychurch and Livermead.
Furthermore, Miranda Hart was born in Torquay in 1972, although she was primarily raised in Hampshire. Hart actually descends from a line of barons, earls, dukes and marquesses, but she
doesn’t consider herself to be upper-class. Since being a teenager, she always wanted to be involved in the performing arts industry, which could mean that her political science degree at the University of the West of England will come as a surprise to many. Since then, she’s completed her own self-titled comedy, featuring Tom Ellis, Sarah Hadland and Sally Phillips. She’s also gone on to write three books.
Georgia Toffolo is a reality TV star, born in 1994. She went to several schools, such as Torquay Girls’ Grammar School, The Maynard School and Blundell’s School. She has featured on Made in Chelsea, and later I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, which she went on to win. In 2019, she partnered with Stanley Johnson, Boris Johnson’s father, in Celebrity Hunted.
Finally, we have Lily Cole. Born in 1987, Cole has gone on to be a model, actress and entrepreneur. At the young age of sixteen, she was named ‘Model of the Year’ at the 2004 British Fashion Awards. She’s gone on to do much charity work, such as being an ambassador for the charity Global Angel’s- a charity that helps families from disadvantaged communities to turn their lives around. Additionally, she supports the charity WaterAid. Her first major role in acting was when she featured as Valentina in the 2009 film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Here are only a few examples of what women from our local area have gone on to achieve, each of them so uniquely different. However, I’m sure there are many more women from Devon who have gone on to do equally incredible things. International Women’s Day seems like it would be the perfect time to find out more about them.
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