PETERBOROUGH LABOUR PARTY

Awards for Veterans   

Labour and Co operative party members held a special nostalgia evening on Saturday 24 October in Peterborough and Parliamentary Candidate Ed Murphy presented awards to two long serving local members.

Bill Swann aged 87 from Thorpe Lea Road West ward in Peterborough and Daphne Heiser aged 88 from Canterbury Road Werrington were the special guests at the event, both having joined the Labour Party in 1945.

 Ed Commented

Bill has been a member since 1945; he is over 80 years of age and does more canvassing than many of our younger members. He joins in canvassing in all parts of Peterborough and it's motivating to the rest of us when he joins in a canvassing session. Bill has always been active in the party and in addition to attending Branch meetings, where he is Treasurer; he is an Executive Committee and Local Government Committee member and attends both of these regularly. Bill is one of our more progressive members and holds strong republican views. He was a Councillor in London’s East Fulham, nowadays he is a keen posh supporter and season ticker holder.

Daphne was active in the Labour movement before 45 and is very proud of achievement such as the birth of the National Health Service and provision of education. She was herself a teacher at the old Peterborough County Girls School. She plays a significant role in the current North and Rural Labour Branch which covers the rural areas, Werrington, Walton, Paston and North ward and she lead on the review of education policy which the Peterborough Constituency Party fed into the National Policy forum.

At the event held at the Grove Centre, Bill and Daphne entertained comrades with stories about events over the many years that have passed since the Second World War. Both were originally from London like many of today’s Peterborians.