Gut Girls and Grey Ladies

Join Lewisham Heritage with Deborah Astell and Jon Spaull exploring the history of the Foreign Cattle Market, the Gut Girls who worked there and the ladies of the Deptford Fund who aimed to save these women from their "sordid lives,” the legacy of which is Deptford’s Albany. Last year through Capture Arts Deborah and Jon received a grant from Historic England to deliver a community project about the Gut Girls, culminating in an exhibition at Deptford X in 2023. Much of the information, documents and photographs used for the project and this talk came from Lewisham Heritage's collections. Refreshments will be provided. Deborah is Project Development Manager at Capture Projects, a not for profit social enterprise based in Lewisham that creates and delivers community projects focusing on social, working class, women’s and LGBTQ+ history. The Gut Girls have been an inspiration for Deborah for over 20 years. Jon is a filmmaker and photographer who currently works for Ashden, the climate solutions charity. He has long been fascinated by the unique history of Deptford which has been described as one of the richest areas of London for history but with the least to show for it. Image © Deborah Astell