A Letchworth resident has been recognised for her extensive and dedicated work in local history with an award from the Hertfordshire Association for Local History.

Philippa Parker was presented with the certificate by David Short, the president of the Association, at their recent annual general meeting in the Town House at Barley.

Philippa co-wrote Industrial Letchworth: The first garden city 1903-1920, published by Hertfordshire Publications, and has masterminded a project to investigate the meanings of street names in the town.

Along with her husband, she has also ensured that the archive of the Clutterbuck family, professional photographers in Letchworth, has been donated to the Garden City Collection of the Heritage Foundation.

The group is about to begin cataloguing the archive.

A further major achievement was to ensure that a memorial plaque to Eliza Howard, Ebenezer's first wife, has been placed in the graveyard of St Mary's Old Letchworth where she is buried.


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The Hertfordshire Association for Local History presents a maximum of two personal achievement awards every year to candidates nominated by an individual and supported by two referees.

The criteria specifies that the awards are for someone who has “promoted local history actively, been a disseminator of local history and made a significant voluntary contribution to the work of a local society and advanced the cause of local history”.

Nominations can be made via the association’s website, www.halh.org.uk.

Membership of HALH is open to all, with members receiving newsletters and a journal, the opportunity to attend a summer outing and two conferences per year, and the chance to share their interest or research with others.