Fish, feminism and working women in the 20th Century
Fish, feminism and working women in the 20th Century  
Podcast: The English Heritage Podcast
Published On: Thu Apr 17 2025
Description: How does a fish connect us to a story of working women’s rights?   Join comedian, writer and history fangirl Amy Matthews and her guests find out about tough and resilient seasonal workers in the Great Yarmouth fishing industry. From frozen fingers to salty cuts and a work hard play hard attitude (not to mention the stench of fish at the end of the day), working women travelled the coastlines on the trail of herring shoals, bolstering local fishing industries with seasonal work and bringing a whole new vibe to the towns they landed in.  English Heritage’s Dr Megan Leyland and researcher Dr Jill de Fresnes explore the lives of working people in Great Yarmouth’s Row Houses during the peak of the fishing industry, and the essential role of women in the supporting textile industry in the early 20th Century.  You can find out more about Great Yarmouth Row Houses at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/greatyarmouthrowhouses  Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave a review if you love the show.  Join: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/join/  Support our work: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/support-us/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices