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I’ve signed in using my son’s facebook ID and I’m his mother. I wanted to join the forum about women commentators because I think Drone mentioned he was sure he saw some grainy B&W footage of a woman commentator and I think he’ll find it was actually my grand mother Maria Draper commentating on the Grand National back in the 50s. Her husband, my grandad, Frank Draper was supposed to do it that year but he was too ill with cancer so Maria was asked to step in. As you guys probably know, in those days they didn’t have the kind of technology we have today. Apparently she had to stand on scaffolding and use binoculars to follow the race. I vaguely remember reading fan mail which I’m sure we still have about her debut. Although some letters were awful and said things like she sounded like she was commentated on a donkey race and this writer hoped she went on to die a slow death from cancer. And I’m not joking when I say this but she did! I found your chat by trying to find on the internet any evidence that Maria was actually the first woman commentator but I can’t seem to prove it. Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated. Sandie
