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International Women From Boreham Wood

To celebrate International Women's Day (#IWD) this Wednesday we have two notable ladies who were brought up in Boreham Wood and who became famous in their respective careers.

Joyce Richards was the first British woman canoeist to take part in the Olympic Games in 1948. Living in Drayton Road and teaching PE at Watford Grammar School for Girls she was asked to canoe for England and so practiced regularly on Aldenham Reservoir.  She qualified for the Games and competed against 8 foreign canoeists.  She didn't win a medal, but flew the flag for England and Boreham Wood.

Dana Wynter was born Dagmar Winter in Berlin in 1931, but brought up in Boreham Wood where her father, Dr Peter Winter, practiced.  She had a long and productive career as an actress on stage, film and tv. Her most famous film is Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but she made many tv appearances in the 70s and 80s.  Living in California and Ireland, she left Boreham Wood behind, though filming at MGM and BPI before leaving for the USA in 1953.