Curator

In 2017 I set about documenting the lives of 50 military spouses; ‘Not Just a Wife’ has become my passion. I have felt that this time in British Military history could become as exclusive and ‘propaganda’ as the white male art of the 1800’s. The only stories that would remain would be the ones of the great achievers but not so much about the everyday life of the military spouse - who we are and what we do.

I have spent much of my married life filling in surveys, completing questionnaires and providing information to a myriad of charities and policy makers. This is what will be left in the archives and, if nothing else, is left for people when they come to research this part of history.

There are some fabulous people who are creating some incredible communities, but rather like Victorian fashion - we make a lot of assumptions based on what we are left with centuries on.

‘Not Just a Wife’ is my window into the world that has essentially been my whole life. My mother was an army wife, as was my paternal-grandmother and great-grandmother. I know little about their lives other than what I can read in museums and piece together based on assumption.

I want to leave facts and, yes perhaps subjective views, but they will be there to balance the objective policies and official documentation that has already been prepared for the archives.

My current project is about to launch and it will be casting the net wider to the spouses of veterans as their story has not been told and it is essential to capture that Cold War life in Germany or the overseas postings to Hong Kong.

Given that I cannot travel to see everyone, much as I would love to - who else has renewed their passport in a pandemic? - I plan to send out small books so that they can be filled with the story in whatever way that person choses to do: photos; ticket stubs; drawings & writing.

We are a very special community that must be visible for the strength that we hold for the British Armed Forces.

All photos of military activity are subject to © Crown Copyright