In 1859 Sarah Parker Remond enrolled at Bedford College. She studied History, French, Latin, Music, English Literature and Elocution in her two years there. However, her impressive academic credentials are just a small part of her truly remarkable story. Sarah was born in Salem, Massachusetts 1826, one of 8 children. She was mostly self-taught, reading books, newspapers and pamphlets that filled her home. In 1835 she attended Salem High School but within a week was barred from attending by the segregationist school committee.

The story of partners Louisa Garrett Anderson and Flora Murray needs to be made into a film immediately if not sooner. It’s a fascinating story of love and loss, war and peace, protest and pioneers, and it all starts at Bedford College..... Louisa’s mother, Elizabeth, was the first female surgeon in Britain and a suffragist. So, following in her pioneering mother’s footsteps, Louisa attended Bedford College in the early 1890s then The London School of Medicine for Women.

Loyal followers. We bring sad news.

As part of our research into the Top 5 Most Borrowed Books 2019 we found that one book hadn't been borrowed for a very long time. It's just been there, collecting dust, staring out the window at other books achieving their book destiny. This could not stand. So we did the right thing, the honourable thing, and took the book out on loan for a day that it would never forget.

Here's what we got up to on our book date with 'There and Back' by George MacDonald.