{Andrea, 7/5/24}

Who recognises the first image? I recognised it but not it's significance, it's The Beat Girl which became associated with Ska music back in the 1960s.

What I did not know is that it was taken from a photo at London's Heathrow Airport when Prince Buster, a leading Ska musician and his band visited from the USA. At an impromptu jam session in the airport he was filmed and photographed dancing with a young woman and this image was the result. The young woman was Brigitte Bond (later St John) who had been amongst the fans thronging the airport.

She later performed in cabaret in London and on the continent and even appeared in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and a number of other films although none of those had the acclaim of a James Bond film.

At the end of the 1960s she disrupted Billy Graham's planned visit to Soho to preach against the "sinful" mini skirt when she climbed onto the car behind him from where he was speaking to the crowd surrounding the car.

Later, she disappeared from public view, but this image remains.

So why am I relating her story this week? Well she was trans and as such her story is applicable to this Trans+ History Week.

For a video detailing her life in much more detail please see:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/A7RNzArsQx8