The Sugar Girls - new book about Tate & Lyle's female workers in Silvertown

[JMC]

Hi Duncan

Read the article in the express - really interesting and a great insight of the girls that worked there.
Went to St Kitts in the Caribean a couple of years ago and took a train ride that goes through all the old sugar plantations and was told that all the sugar that was grown there was for Tate & Lyle's - really fascinating.

JMC

[Duncan_Barrett]

That must have been so fascinating! Glad you enjoyed the piece in the Express.

Just a last-minute reminder about our book launch tomorrow - 11am at The Hub in Canning Town.  There will be 30+ former 'sugar girls' there, we will be showing photos and Colin Lyle of the Lyle family will be speaking. 

Also, there will be free tea, coffee and cake!

Hope some of you can make it.

Best wishes,
Duncan

[GeoffM]

Duncan

Took the  liberty of posting your reminder comments on a couple of Facebook groups I belong to as I know there has been quite a bit of interest shown on them about the book with one or two people almost making the trip to the Hub last Wednesday by mistake.


GeoffM

[MBrennan]

Hope you all have a good day there tomorrow 

I was watching the latest series of Upstairs Downstairs today. They had a tin of Lyles black treacle as a prop but it wasn't very convincing as it looked quite rusty 

[fizzbin]

Just to let you all know, two of the Sugar Girls will be talking to Robert Elms today on his radio show on BBC London 94.9, some time between midday & 3pm.

[JMC]

Hope yesterday went well at The Hub with the Sugargirls what a great experience to have meet them - was very disappointed that I was unable to make it, but expect it went really well, would be interested to hear all about it.

Am soooooo excited - when I turned on my Kindle a little while ago the book had been downloaded - am having to false myself not to start reading it as I know that I will not be able to put it down - have the grandchildren coming for tea so best wait until they go home !!

regards to everyone
Jan

[MBrennan]

I just ordered my download  

I good excuse to ditch the rubbish book I am reading on there at the moment!

Shame I missed the radio show. I will see if it is available as a podcast on my internet radio - if I can work out how to do it!  


Mark

PS - Re Fizzbin's post. The Podcast will be available tomorrow here http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/elms

Not sure but it looks as if might be edited so maybe not all the items will be on the podcast.

[Duncan_Barrett]

Hi,

Not sure if it will make the podcast as I think that's a best-of for the whole week.  You can listen to yesterday's show on BBC iPlayer though - we were on at about a quarter to two.  It was a bit of a mad experience - Gladys and Eva were stuck in traffic so nearly didn't make it, and then Gladys's mobile went off twice during the interview!  I think she and Eva got on really well with Robert Elms though - he seemed like a really nice guy and very interested in the history of Silvertown and Tate & Lyle.

Here's the iPlayer link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00pybbb

Best wishes,
Duncan

[MBrennan]

Thanks Duncan,

I will wait until I have finished the book. ( I am on the 2nd story  

Very easy reading so it won't take me long  

Just so other people know, on Duncan's link, if you drag the play bar along to 1 hour, 35 minutes, you will get to the start of the Sugar Girls interview 

[Duncan_Barrett]

For anyone who missed our launch party earlier this week, here is the link to a blog we've written all about it - with lots of pictures of the event.  It was wonderful to see so many people there - according to The Hub, where it was hosted, there were over 100! 

http://www.thesugargirls.com/tea-cake-and-sweet-memories-the-sugar-girls-book-launch/

In the picture attached, you can see four of our main sugar girls - Gladys, Eva, Ethel and Lilian - having a look at the Sugar Girls photo exhibition, which is up in the foyer and corridor of The Hub for the next month. 

Best wishes,
Duncan

[MBrennan]

Just to say how much I am enjoying this so far. I love the picture of Miss Smith. I am terrified of her!  

She reminds me of an elderly woman around here, who, for some reason, I always end up passing to & from the car park where I keep my car. It is a narrow alley and she always manages to tell me off or give me a withering look as turn sideways to pass her with her shopping trolley - as you can imagine, she walks very slowly but still manages to get to the co-op. She chastises the staff in there too!   - If I see her coming, I even consider walking the long way around the block so we don't have to pass (I have it on good authority that she is 102, going on 103!) The one exception was on Friday just gone when I had one of the cats in a carrier with me and I actually got a smile!  

I would be unlikely, but not impossible if Miss Smith was alive & well in Whitstable  

PS - Just to say the reviews on Amazon so far, are unfair or misleading. People seem to be under the impression it is a novel and set in the 50s 

[MBrennan]

I see the book has been added to the Wikipedia page for Tate & Lye  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tate_%26_Lyle

I was curious to know whether Oliver Lyle read the book and if so, did he comment on the 'couplet' part about his relative Jonathan? 

[Duncan_Barrett]

We have sent Colin Lyle a copy of the book but not sure if he's got to that part yet!  Miss Smith was certainly a formidable lady, so good luck with your shopping...

If you like the book, it would be great if you could add your own review to Amazon, as these make a big difference I know.

I thought some of you might be interested to hear some more audio of the sugar girls.  This is a little extra to the interview Gladys and Eva did last week with Robert Elms, a short piece with his producer Graham for their Facebook page:

http://audioboo.fm/boos/733577-original-sugar-girls-gladys-eva-chat-to-graham-about-life-in-a-1950-s-london-sugar-refinery

And here is a blog we wrote about today's trip to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, where you can listen to the segment on The Sugar Girls, again featuring Gladys and Eva: 

http://www.thesugargirls.com/listen-to-the-sugar-girls-on-womans-hour/

Best wishes,
Duncan

[MBrennan]

Interesting stuff  

There is one of the original sports day programmes for sale on eBay. I was quite surprised to see that they were charged 6d entrance fee + another 3d for a programme!  

I am even more curious since I found out my Granddad worked there all his life (see other thread). I don't know if I had been told before. I know 'Lyles-eys' was spoken of but didn't know I had family there. It is odd to think my granddad was working there at the same time as the girls and they may have even known him. I guess there must have been hundreds of people working there.

[serena7]

Just finished reading The Sugar Girls,  what an excellent read.  I really enjoyed it.  The main characters may also have even known my Father.  He worked for them from 1921-1968. He started there when he was just 14 years old. Does anyone remember the Barbers shop opposite the Factory? I will post a review of the book on Amazon from where I purchased it. It will be a glowing one too.