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27
Nov 2022
New BBC series pays homage to intrepid Victorian explorer from Boroughbridge
An intrepid Victorian explorer from Boroughbridge is to be the subject of a new BBC2 series starring Ruby Wax, Mel B and Emily Atack.
Isabella Bird, who was born at Boroughbridge Hall in 1831, travelled alone across the lawless American Wild West, riding 800 miles on horseback through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
She befriended outlaws, climbed mountains, and faced grizzly bears in what was a restrictive era for women in Britain.
Using her original 1873 book A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains as inspiration for their own adventure, Ruby, Mel and Emily pay homage to this forgotten pioneer in the series Trailblazers: A Rocky Mountain Road Trip.
They explore the people, places and curious customs of an ever-changing America, while reflecting on the changes in western society over the last 150 years and their own experiences of womanhood.
The new series starts on BBC2 on Monday at 9pm.
Linda Dooks, secretary of the Boroughbridge and District Historical Society, said:
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Ms Dooks said Isabella went on to marry John Bishop in 1881, inheriting a large income after his death, which she used to extend her travels.
She added:
Ms Dooks said Boroughbridge only became aware of Isabelle and her exploits in the 1980s when a group of Chinese tourists asked where Isabella Bird was born.
She said:
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