Town Council makes history awards

Betty Russell with Harpenden Town Mayor, Rosemary Farmer

Harpenden Town Council, 2014

Gavin Ross with Rosemary Farmer

Harpenden Town Council, 2014

By Alan Bunting

At the Harpenden Town Council Annual Town Meeting on 31 March 2014, attended by over 100 local residents, two stalwart members of Harpenden Local History Society were presented with ‘awards of merit in recognition of outstanding work in the community over many years’. The presentations were made by Town Mayor Rosemary Farmer. 

One award went to Mrs Betty Russell for her dedicated work for the History Society, before her recent retirement from her role for more than a decade as minutes secretary and programme secretary.

Society chairman Gavin Ross also received an award, which he said he regarded as a tribute to the activities of the Society as a whole – whose membership continues to flourish – rather than to him personally. He paid particular tribute to his predecessor as Chairman, Ron Staines, and to John Bristow for tirelessly pressing for suitable premises for a Harpenden Museum and Archive Centre.