Eirlys Roberts

From the Guardian newspaper over the weekend I read the obituary of Eirlys Roberts, a woman who led a most interesting life. She was considered the mother of the modern British consumer movement. In 1957 she helped establish the first consumer magazine called Which? Everyone thought it would flop, but she knew the importance of this arena and worked hard to make it happen. She ended up serving as the editor until 1973. Above and beyond that she studied the classics and spoke Greek and Latin. She was always writing and involved with women's magazines early on. She joined up with the British military and political intelligence sector in the mid 1940s living in Greece and Albania, where she reported on the current wars and atrocities and helping with human rights efforts. At heart she always had the interest of the people at hand, which is what led to her lifetime involvement with consumer organizations and concerns--going as far as developing this sector for the European Economic Community. She died at 97.

I had not heard of Eirlys Roberts before yesterday, but felt lucky to have read this and learned about such a pioneering and intriguing woman. It seemed important to share.