Welcome to Women's Words. This site exemplifies the collaboration of five women who have shared their experiences and memories in interviews conducted during 2003 and 2004. My name is Sharon Hunt and this site is based on interviews which were undertaken as part of my Life History certificate course at the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sussex. The subsequent design and development of this website is also a requirement of the course.

Although these were life history interviews the main focus of our discussions related to our working lives and those of our mothers. I hope that these life stories will offer a fascinating insight into how women in the past and present can contribute to our social and historical understanding of working women. Especially, with regards to how women can successfully combine motherhood and family life with both work and career aspirations. The following pages also aim to offer an exploration of other areas such as bereavement and grief.

We live in a busy society where new technology has in many ways made our lives much easier and more comfortable. Yet it appears that for many women we feel that we must conform to both traditional and contemporary ideals of the good wife and mother as well as striving to be successful in our careers. There is increasing pressure on women nowadays to 'have it all' - to maintain beautiful homes and to be ambitious whilst retaining responsibility for the upbringing and nurturing of happy, well adjusted children.

Like pebbles on a beach - each persons life story and how it is told is unique. This website is intended to be an informal collection of memories to be shared as we take you on a journey through the shifting sands of time. It is dedicated to mothers and daughters everywhere.

I hope you will find the following pages informative and enjoyable. Please contact me if you have any suggestions to improve the layout and content of this site.

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