barbara hosking

Politics, Media & Communications

1926 - 2021

Suggested by Alice Howard, Interpretation and Participation Lead, Kresen Kernow

Alice writes, “Barbara Hosking had a whirlwind career as a civil servant and British broadcaster. She describes her career like a game of snakes and ladders, moving professions often and regularly starting again from the bottom. She worked as press officer for prime ministers Harold Wilson and Ted Heath, before moving into broadcasting. Her memoir, written aged 91, reveals how she really did say yes to everything while inspiring those around her and offering support to other women. Barbara’s story provides great insight into the life of a gay woman, growing up and working in a male dominated culture, at a time when homosexuality was illegal.

I find Barbara inspiring as she took so many risks with her career, changing profession many times. As a trustee of the 300 Group, founded in the early 1980’s to encourage women to stand for parliament she helped many women get into politics. In 1979 there were only 19 women MPs, 263 women were elected in 2024. During the Troubles in Northern Ireland she organised a conference for women across the divide. Two of the delegates went on to sign the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Barbara grew up in Penzance, leaving school at 16 to work in typing pools. She worked briefly on the Isles of Scilly and at 21 moved to London with no real contacts. She visited Cornwall throughout her life and maintained, “I am a Cornish woman who has made her own way in the world. Like every Celt I love people, music and the sea, and I quite like helping others up the ladder.” When she was director of West Country TV, she proposed a programme in Cornish for which she was made a Bard of Gorsedh Kernow. Her bardic name is Myrgh an Ayrdonow, Daughter of the Airwaves. 

Barbara’s memoir, Exceeding My Brief, written in 2017 at age 91, gives us an amazing insight into her life. This is one of my favourite quotes, “Better out than in, I decided. My joke is, I’ve come out at the age of 91 and if I don’t like it I’m going back in again!’’

https://www.civilservant.org.uk/women-barbara_hosking.htm