International Woman's Day #iwd

My Mum

Amazingly my Mum managed to keep her senses while moving 3 children, a husband and an entire house every 18months or so for my entire life! No small feat but for a gardener this must have been very tough. However she also managed to establish a beautiful garden in each new place we were moved to, there are gardens all over Europe that are probably very mature by now and hopefully being enjoyed by families. She also held down several part time jobs, and had the strength to let her children go when they wanted to stay in another country for their education.

My House Mistress and Teacher

Vivian McCormick, one of the old guard. It was Jolly hockey sticks, jolly lacrosse sticks and everything that was cold and miserable was character building. Always with a naughty twinkle in her eye and a string of quietly whispered legends surrounding her. A true feminist and staunch supporter of International Women's Day. We were her 'gals' and boy did she make sure we were the best.

Marie Curie

A true pioneer for women scientists, she was awarded two nobel prizes, in fact she is the only woman to have won two and the only person to have won them in separate sciences! Marie Curie donated the financial winnings from both Nobel prizes to worthy causes – such as poor students. She founded two world class medical centres who still lead the way with medial research to this day. As well as being a female scientist in a male dominated world, she was also a wife and mother – juggling career and motherhood in a time when many modern conveniences were not possible.

Maya Angelou

I remember being touched by a story of a young girl, the book I was reading was called 'I know why the caged bird sings”. Suffice to say this was the first time I had come across a book that was so open about subjects of racism, abuse and cruelty. The fact that it was autobiographical fiction and that the author was strong throughout the story was mind blowing for a young girl sat in the comfort of a loving family and the freedom of a decent education. I hail the strength of the young girl, the woman and the grandmother she became.

Helen Skelton

A modern day inspiration for young girls, Helen Skelton is the ultimate Blue Peter presenter. A farmer's daughter that has completed some of the toughest ultra marathons in the world. She holds two world records for kayaking the Amazon river – solo! She's tightrope walked between the old chimneys of Battersea Power Station and is the only person to have reached the South Pole on a bike. Her Blue Peter specials show the dedication, hardwork and pain that she goes through to achieve these wonderful milestones. She alone shows today's children that to become truly great you need to work hard through difficult times.

There are many more inspirational women out there, do recommend yours using the comments below.