5. PLYMOUTH: Life of “The Devonshire Wonder”

LGBTQIA+ history doesn’t just exist in London, Manchester and Brighton. It’s everywhere! Including Plymouth!

The I in LGBTQIA+ stands for intersex – those born with variations in their sex characteristics. And unfortunately, their history has often focused on their medical records rather than their lives. But this episode celebrates the ordinary everyday moments within Intersex History through one person’s story.

Mark Weston was born in Plymouth in 1905. Raised as a girl, he discovered he had variations in his sex characteristics in the 1930s and decided to undergo surgery and change his name to Mark. His small local community consistently ed him, and he settled down with his wife a few streets away from his childhood home.

As already somewhat of a local sporting celebrity known as “the Devonshire Wonder”, how did the newspapers react to his change of identity? And what’s the wider context of twentieth-century Intersex History in Britain?

History Hun (Anouska Lewis) on her trip to Plymouth as she delves into the local archives to explore Mark Weston’s story, is taken on a LGBTQIA+ heritage walking tour of the city, and discusses Mark’s life with intersex people today.

History Hun is on a mission to prove that no hometown is boring. Because everywhere has a history and history’s never boring!!

She’s spotlighting hidden histories from misjudged places across the UK and supplying you with a few history-hun-facts along the way x

Hometown Boring? is a Mags Creative production for BBC Sounds Audio Lab

Written, produced and presented by Anouska Lewis

Senior Producer – Ryan Nile

Editors – Kit Milsom, Ryan Nile and Sarah Myles

Executive Producers – James Norman Fyfe and Kit Milsom

Script Consultant – Anick Soni

Theme Music and Sound Design – Kit Milsom

Artwork – Ellie Walmsley

Additional – Amanda Birbara

Commissioning Editor – Khaliq Meer