Jana’s brother took this photo at Camden Lock, early 1976, not long after we’d met.

In the Railton Road squat, Brixton, London. This was part of a gay men’s squatting community, and they kindly took us in after Jana and I were beaten up and kicked out of our North London squat. The men in the picture from left to right: Petal, Peter, Julian.

Our first attempt at recording, using a two track reel-to-reel belonging to one of the gay men in the squat at Railton Road. We then transferred that to cassette in real time, i.e. one cassette at a time. Each cassette had an original drawing/painting cover .

Rosemary in the back yard of one of the many squats we lived in

Jana at the same squat

Our first full length studio album, only available on cassette. We got a £500 grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation, and £50 from an anonymous supportive friend. 1979

Out of Bounds, our first album on vinyl, also available on cassette. 1982

Third studio album, Possibilities, available on vinyl and cassette. 1984

Our last studio album, Who Gave Birth to the Universe. Artwork by Penny Wood. 1988

We appeared at the Melkweg Women’s Festival in Amsterdam in 1979. The venue was packed.

At one point Ova was three, including Sally Bautista, who came up with the name ‘Ova’.

Jana rehearsing with Sally

With those clothes, it has to be the 80s.

When Ova secured a grant from the GLC to set up the Ova Music Studio, we were able to employ an Administrator, Jenny Gibbs, and a Sound Engineer, Livvy Elliott. From Left to Right: Jenny, Rosemary, Jana, Livvy.

Our first album ‘Ova’ included the song ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Fever’, a cynical look at the music industry’s co-option of any music with a political message. I dressed the part of a rock ‘n’ roll ‘star’.

At one point Viv Acious was our sound engineer and toured Germany with us

One of my favourite photos from one of our many tours in Germany

Our first Album ‘Out of Bounds’ included Josephine Cupido on drums, and Alison Raynor on bass.

Helen Hurden, aka Sammy, played keyboards on our first two albums

For a brief period, Ova expanded to include Sally Beautista, Isobel, Maggie Nichols and Corinna,

With an array of instruments

Practicing, rehearsing, always playing

Rehearsing in the Ova Music Studio

Gig in Covent Garden Piazza

Chess Black (left) toured with us on one German tour.

Jenny Gibbs at our selling ‘merchandise’ at a German gig