Stout lady

Today marks the 225th anniversary of the last invasion of British soil, which happened  here in Fishguard on the far west coast of Wales.
The planned events and celebrations  have been another casualty of the pandemic but there have been some more muted acknowlegements of what has become the town's main claim to fame.

Here in the window of our heritage centre, Ein Hanes, is the  hero of the hour back then: Jemima Nicholas, the local cobbler, who is credited with ralleying other red-cloaked women to join in the defence of the town and who (it is said) armed only with a pitchfork, captured twelve French soldiers by herself.   True, many of the French were deserters and impressed men with little fight in them, especially after they had rampaged around the neighbouring countryside quaffing all the alcohol they could find. It didn't take long for British redcoats, aided by the local people, to round up the invaders who surrendered on the beach - or maybe in the pub. Accounts vary.

Our inspired window dresser has focussed on Jemima Fawr/Great Jemima's trade. We don't know much about her but it seems she was an independent woman, not young, who made and mended shoes for a living and whose size made her a match for any man.
Here she's got her apron, her scissors, her hammer and her last and a collection of shoes  waiting for attention. Their soles would have been wooden, not comfortable but as certainly as sturdy as the soul of their maker.

Extra: the tools of her trade in Welsh and English