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about

Alice, born in 1863 spent most of her life working at Equity Shoes, Leicester, as a machinist. The factory was set up as a “co-operative” venture with good working conditions and fair wages. Alice was to go on to become Leicester’s most famous suffragette, being partly motivated by the pay differential between male and female workers. The fact that she worked for Equity meant that her employers took a sympathetic attitude to her campaigning and allowed her time off work. She was thus rather unusual being from a working class background in a movement mainly of middle class women led by the Pankhursts. Alice joined the WSPU in 1907 after hearing a speech by Christabel in Leicester. Alice was jailed five times for her protests and spent terms in both Holloway and Leicester gaols. She became involved in activities like window breaking and building bonfires on golf greens. At that stage apparently she was the only Leicester suffragette confident enough to deliver public speeches. Winston Churchill was once reputed to have said that the only time in his life he was frightened was at the thought of the Leicester Suffragettes. He was a particular target of the movement alongside Asquith, Lloyd-George and even Labour’s Ramsay MacDonald. Until recently Alice remained in an unmarked grave but a campaign by her descendents has led to one being erected together with a bronze staue in Leicester market where she delivered many of her impassioned speeches.

lyrics

Living Next Door to Alice
1. I rushed to the window where a little bird
Whispered in my ear “I suppose you’ve heard”
About Alice?
I must say it was no surprise when the Black Maria pulled up outside,
And it drove off down the road with Alice inside:-

We all know where she’s going, to a cold prison cell,
But you can bet what you like she’ll give em merry hell,
For all these years I’ve been living next door to Alice,
She’s been letting the world know a few home truths,
She had Mr Churchill quaking in his boots,
Never a dull moment living next door to Alice.

She’s a working girl down the Equity,
Nailed her colours to the mast for posterity,
From the Corn Exchange down to Buckingham Palace,
Banner held high she’s on their case, all these MPs who are a waste of space
For women should their rightful place,
Said Alice .

We all know where she’s going, to a cold prison cell,
But you can bet what you like she’ll give em merry hell,
For all these years I’ve been living next door to Alice,
She’s been letting the world know a few home truths,
She had Mr Churchill quaking in his boots,
Never a dull moment living next door to Alice.

The powers that be were made to fret,
Lashed by the tongue of a Suffragette,
Asquith, Lloyd George would never forget our Alice
Even Ramsay MacDonald didn’t escape,
From Holloway jail she put him in his place,
Each time they drag her off it’s a total disgrace,
Stop this malice.


We all know where she’s going, to a cold prison cell,
But you can bet want you like she’ll give em merry hell,
For all these years I’ve been living next door to Alice,
She’s been letting the world know a few home truths,
She had Mr Churchill quaking in his boots,
Never a dull moment living next door to Alice.

Now in an unmarked grave Alice will lie,
But she’ll get her rightful place by and by
As people start to question why
We forget Alice
Now not just a headstone standing proud,
But a lifesized statue in our town
Where people would come and gather round
To hear Alice.

credits

from Legends of Leicester and Leicestershire - volume 2, released November 15, 2020

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about

Dave Taylor Leicester, UK

I write both serious and comedy songs. 6 solo CDs to date and collaborations with Steve Cartwright -"Legends of Leicester/Leicestershire". "All at Sea" shantyish album. Folk based for the most part - when people ask where the ideas come from I can say with honesty -"not drugs!!".. Currently working on a new album "Aspects of Lurve" hopefully out later in 2024. ... more

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