Celebrating Hilda Wicksteed this International Women’s Day

For International Women’s Day 2025, we want to celebrate the amazing Hilda Wicksteed who helped shape Wicksteed Park into what we know and love today.

Hilda at Home

“Charles Wicksteed was never happier than when with his family. Nothing he could do for them was too much trouble.” – Hilda on her father

“Though her spirit might sometimes flag, for her strength was unequal to the task, she persisted not only in making all welcome but in looking after them with a housewife’s competence.” – Hilda on her mother, Mary Wicksteed

Born on 3rd August 1884, Hilda lived in a modestly sized house at 24 London Rd. The family had two servants – a nurse and a general servant. Her father loved spending time with the family, although his engineering work and various causes kept him busy. Her mother was not strong, but she was kind-hearted and a competent host.

In 1898, the family moved to Bryn Hafod, the large house Charles had commissioned. Hilda’s grandmother (Charles’ mother) moved in with them. She was frail and stayed indoors a lot, and Hilda had fond memories of her grandma reciting poetry, “for which she had an inexhaustible memory, to her granddaughter.”

Hilda attended Roedean Boarding School in Sussex from 1899 to 1903. She was at school when Charles wrote to her to say her grandmother had died. Receiving letters from home meant a lot to Hilda, who missed her pets as well as her family. She was most likely educated at home before attending school in her late teenage years.

She lived at Bryn Hafod until after her father’s death, when she sold the house and moved to 15 St Botolph’s Road, Barton Seagrave. As far as we know, she lived alone, except during the Second World War, when she shared her home with an evacuated 38-year-old London schoolteacher, Miss Esther Butler Pearce. Hilda also employed a housekeeper, Miss Ada Johnson, who probably did not live with Hilda, as she does not appear on census records.

Hilda had shares in her father’s engineering company and described her occupation as ‘private means’ on official documents. When she died, aged 66, on 23rd October 1950, after being ill for at least a year, she left a substantial estate of £39,550 18s. 13d.

Hilda and Animals

“The Mistress knew that there was always some animal in the world in need of love and care, and that when one went out of her life, another was waiting to come in.” – Jerry and Grandpa, 1930

“Do you know that we can be as full of love and longings, and joys and sorrows, and fun as you are?” – Titch’s voice, in Titch and Jock, 1922

Hilda loved all animals. Her first pet, at age five, was a rat called Tiny, bought for a penny, but her mother was not keen on larger pets until a stray cat, Puss, charmed his way into the household and became good company for the lonely Hilda.

Over the years, there were various other pets, such as a rabbit, raccoon, parrot, and cats, but Hilda’s favourite animals were dogs. The dogs went on holiday with her and Charles, in the car or on the train.

In 1924, she started a new branch of the RSPCA for Kettering, Thrapston, and Wellingborough, and was the Honorary Secretary. She was against the docking of dogs’ tails. As a Trustee of the Wicksteed Village Trust, animal welfare was one of her responsibilities.

In 1927, Hilda and her father travelled to South Africa to sell play equipment. During this time, Jerry – Charles’ adored dog – went missing. Charles celebrated his birthday on the steamship coming back to England, unaware that Hilda had received a letter about Jerry going missing. In an imaginary chapter at the end of Hilda’s book Jerry and Grandpa, she pictures Jerry running in a field looking for things to chase. He hears a shot, then soars up to heaven on an angel’s wing – always free and happy.

Hilda as Chairman

Hilda had previously chaired meetings of the Trust when her father was absent; she was one of the original Trustees. The first meeting after Charles’ death was business as usual. Maybe it was easier to focus on what needed to be done than to give way to grief.

Hilda did not usually make or second proposals in meetings. Her first recorded proposal was to elect a second female Trustee.

She did not deal with much of the finance until later, after the resignation of one of the other Trustees. The bank was instructed to accept her signature on cheques. Sometimes she loaned money to the Trust.

Each of the Trustees had different responsibilities and interests – Hilda’s included animals (in the minutes of meetings, she discussed the monkey house, new aviary, and donkeys), trees and gardens, the hotel owned by the Trust, and the management and rewarding of staff.

Under her Chairmanship, the park increased its output of ice cream made on-site, arranged dog shows, and bought and sold plots of land. The Trust was also a landlord, and in many of the meetings, issues such as rent increases and property alterations were discussed.

Other issues discussed included ‘the sale of intoxicating drinks,’ permission for various organisations to sell items or hold events in the park, new building works, and celebrations for the Coronation of George VI.

In 1935, Hilda agreed to be Chair again, provided that certain conditions were met, but we don’t have a record of what they were. Hilda was Chair until 1940, and she remained a Trustee until her death. She bequeathed the copyright of her books to the Trust.

Changing rooms for runners and cyclists were erected in her memory, as were the entrance gates you drive through when you visit today.