Stephanie Booth

Booth was born on 25 May 1946,{{cite web|url=http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/regionalnews/content_objectid=13141488_method=full_siteid=50142_headline=-Transsexual-buys-string-of-hotels---and-wants-to-own-more-name_page.html|title=Transsexual buys string of hotels – and wants to own more|publisher=icnorthwales.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016}} in St Albans, Hertfordshire.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zAnaAAAAMAAJ&q=Stephanie%20Anne%20Lloyd%201946|title=Stephanie: A Girl in a Million|first1=Stephanie Anne|last1=Lloyd|first2=Sandra|last2=Sedgbeer|date=1 January 1991|publisher=Ebury Press|isbn=9780852239278}} Her parents later became Jehovah Witnesses.

After finishing secondary school, Booth worked as a laboratory technician, cinema manager, costing clerk and retail chain manager. In 1968 she got married and fathered three children. In the early 1980s, while living in northwest England, she separated from the family and began gender reassignment through a specialist psychologist at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, followed by surgery in September 1983 at Charing Cross Hospital, London. Following this, Booth adopted the name Stephanie Anne Lloyd. Divorce followed. Due to publicity by tabloid newspapers Booth lost her managerial job and was unable to find a new one.{{cite web | last=Turner | first=Shannon | title=How We Met: David Booth and Stephanie Anne Lloyd | website=The Independent | date=27 March 1994 | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-david-booth-and-stephanie-anne-lloyd-1431938.html | access-date=28 July 2024}}

In 1984, Booth started Transformation, a business catering to the transgender and transvestite community. She was persuaded that a massage service that offered prostitution services was both legal, and could quickly solve her financial difficulties. She was later arrested for running a bawdy house, and pleaded guilty.{{cite web|url=http://www.transformation.co.uk/en/transgender-resources/true-life-stories/127-the-story-of-stephanie-anne-lloyd?start=7|title=The Story of Stephanie Ann Lloyd – Page7|publisher=Transformation.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226233050/http://transformation.co.uk/en/transgender-resources/true-life-stories/127-the-story-of-stephanie-anne-lloyd?start=7|archive-date=26 December 2010}} In 1985, she moved in with David Booth, her business partner. They married in February 1986 in Sri Lanka, but British law at this time didn't recognise such marriages.

Later business ventures included a transgender mail order catalogue and a contact magazine. This was followed by a transgender hotel in Manchester and a second shop in London.{{cite web|url=http://www.transformation.co.uk/en/transgender-resources/true-life-stories/127-the-story-of-stephanie-anne-lloyd?start=9|title=The Story of Stephanie Ann Lloyd|publisher=Transformation.co.uk|access-date=26 February 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226233333/http://transformation.co.uk/en/transgender-resources/true-life-stories/127-the-story-of-stephanie-anne-lloyd?start=9|archive-date=26 December 2010}}

Unable to open a shop in Scotland due to Scottish law, the company opened a site in Newcastle upon Tyne. They also expanded their mail order business to cover mainland Europe and the United States. In 1992, Booth founded the Albany Gender Identity Clinic as a centre for transsexuals to seek specialist medical advice and guidance on their condition.{{cite web|url=http://www.transsexualclinic.co.uk/features/stephanie|title=Stephanie's Story|publisher=Transsexualclinic.co.uk|accessdate=21 September 2016|archive-date=14 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514005120/http://www.transsexualclinic.co.uk/features/stephanie/|url-status=dead}}

In 2008, Mentorn Cymru began production of reality television series Hotel Stephanie for BBC Wales.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/northeastwales/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8322000/8322299.stm|title=Behind the scenes at Hotel Stephanie|publisher=BBC Wales|date=23 October 2009}} The series focused on Booth and her running of her hotel chain, based mainly on activities around Llangollen. The programme was commissioned for a second series in 2009, which focused on the couples' takeover and refurbishment of The Wynnstay Arms hotel in Wrexham.{{cite web|url=http://www.welshcountry.co.uk/news-from-around-wales/81-powys/8088-hotel-stephanie-booth-to-speak-at-tourism-conference-|title='Hotel Stephanie' Booth to speak at Tourism Conference|publisher=Mid Wales Tourism Board|date=13 October 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122072638/http://www.welshcountry.co.uk/news-from-around-wales/81-powys/8088-hotel-stephanie-booth-to-speak-at-tourism-conference-|archive-date=22 November 2010}}

On 7 July 2011, Booth's hotels went into financial administration.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-14066043|title=Stephanie Booth's Llangollen Hotels in administration|publisher=BBC|date=7 July 2011}} Administrators closed the Wynnstay Arms, The Anchor in Ruthin and The Bridge Hotel, Chester with immediate effect and the funhouses in Mold, Wrexham and Oswestry, as these premises were rented and default on rent payment could not be avoided.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-14084390|title=bbc wales news 100 job losses|publisher=The BBC|date=8 July 2011}} All four hotels, which had been trading well, were put up for sale.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2011/07/09/ruthin-hotel-closes-as-crisis-hits-stephanie-booth-s-business-chain-55578-29021047|title=Ruthin hotel closes as crisis hits Stephanie Booth's business chain|work=Daily Post|date=9 July 2011}}

In 2011, Booth announced her intention to take over Wrexham A.F.C., with an interest-free loan to save it from going into financial administration and the plan to raise £5 million to purchase the club in a community-based venture.{{cite news|title=Stephanie Booth outlines Wrexham FC vision|work=Daily Post|date=7 March 2011|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2011/03/07/stephanie-booth-outlines-wrexham-fc-vision-55578-28289229/}}{{cite news|title=Wrexham's Supporters Trust backs rival takeover bid|publisher=BBC|date=7 March 2011|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-east-wales-12663355}}

On the evening of 18 September 2016, Booth was killed in a tractor accident at her smallholding farm on the outskirts of Corwen, Denbighshire. She was aged 70, and survived by her husband, David.{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/shock-stephanie-booth-dies-tractor-11906984|title=Shock as prominent businesswoman Stephanie Booth dies in tractor crash tragedy|last=Williams|first=Kelly|date=19 September 2016}} Along with her children (From David's side) Lisa and Dawn. Also her grandchildren; Andrew, Mathew, Grace, Rachel and Joseph.

Booth's first short autobiography, The official autobiography of sex-change Stephanie Anne Lloyd, was published in 1990 by TMC Publishing Ltd.WorldCat:

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/1011450012 The official autobiography of sex-change Stephanie Anne Lloyd]

Her second autobiography, Stephanie: A Girl in a Million co-written with Sandra Sedgbeer, was published in 1991 by Ebury Press.WorldCat:

[https://www.worldcat.org/title/22764154 Stephanie] The Dutch translation was published in 1993,WorldCat: [https://www.worldcat.org/title/22764154 Stephanie : ik ben een bijzondere vrouw] and the Czech translation in 1994.WorldCat: [https://www.worldcat.org/title/39599495 Stephanie. Z muže ženou : autobiografie transsexuála]

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.transformation.co.uk/pages/stephanie-s-story#chapter_0 Stephanie's Story], online autobiography, updated in 2014

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Booth, Stephanie}}

Category:1946 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:People from St Albans

Category:People from Llangollen

Category:British hoteliers

Category:Transgender businesspeople

Category:English transgender women

Category:English LGBTQ businesspeople

Category:English LGBTQ rights activists

Category:Road incident deaths in Wales

Category:Sex industry in Wales

Category:20th-century English businesswomen

Category:20th-century English businesspeople

Category:21st-century English businesswomen

Category:21st-century English businesspeople