Publications
Land Girls: Cinderellas of the Soil, by Amy de la Haye, published 1 October 2009 (64 pp., Brighton: Royal Pavilion, Libraries & Museums, ISBN-10: 0948723726 & ISBN-13: 9780948723728) accessible at: West Sussex Libraries & East Sussex Libraries
Review by Sue Berry in Sussex Past & Present no. 120, April 2010:This book accompanied the recent and very popular exhibition at Brighton Art Gallery and Museum which focused on the personal stories of the land girls who were trained, lived and worked on the Sussex Downs and surrounding areas during both World wars. This is worth looking at if you are interested in the topic and period, and what happened in Sussex in 1914-1918 when there was a Women's Land Army, and then in more depth, the revival of the WLA in 1939 when they became known as the Land Girls. In 1939, Balcombe Place was the national HQ of the Women's Land Army, Lady Denman was the Honorary Director and they were trained at Plumpton Agricultural College. Local women are featured in the catalogue and so is their distinctive uniform, especially those amazing breeches! Many of the photographs from the Second World War show cheerful photogenic girls; one has to wonder how much thought went into this, especially after a look at the photographs of what they wore.