A plaque has been unveiled in memory of Ann Carlisle, a former Wisbech mayor and chairman of Fenland District Council, who died aged 81 in October 2016.
Members of her family gathered at Octavia Hill’s Birthplace House for the unveiling of a plaque in Heroes’ Arcade.
Peter Clayton, chairman of the Octavia Hill Birthplace Museum Trust, said: “Ann Carlisle was a particularly active supporter of the whole project to establish a museum in Wisbech dedicated to the town’s celebrated daughter.
“Her whole range of achievements in happy homes, open spaces, the co-founding of the National Trust, social inclusion and the founding of the modern army cadet movement is now displayed in 13 rooms of the Birthplace House.”
Miss Carlisle had been a member of many charitable organisations including chairman of the Wisbech Society for 10 years.
She served as division president for St John and had been both a town and Fenland district councillor.
Miss Carlisle was born in Sheffield and was the eldest of Dr William (Bill) Carlisle and his wife Joyce’s three children. She leaves one brother Hugh, a retired judge from London. Her youngest brother John died in 1992.
The family moved to Wisbech where Dr Carlisle worked at the North Cambs Hospital. He was given the Freedom of the Borough when he retired and a ward was named after him at the hospital.
Miss Carlisle was educated at Hunmanby Hall near Filey and was chairman of the school’s old girls association.
She attended secretarial college in London and later worked as a PA for many years.
Miss Carlisle served as mayor in 1981-82.
In 1995 she was elected as Fenland District Councillor for Peckover ward and served on the council until 2007 and was chairman from 2001 to 2004.
She enjoyed the reputation for being a bit of a ‘rebel’ with members of her Conservative party, if she did not like decisions.
She headed a public convenience review team in 2005 when Fenland council was proposing to axe half the public loos.
She took councillors on a tour of all the loos in the market towns and held meetings with neighbouring authorities to look at how they operated and maintained their public toilets.
Miss Carlisle spent most of life in her house on North Brink but after her retirement from council service she moved to Norfolk for a couple of years before returning to Wisbech.
Sadly she suffered from dementia in recent years and was living in a care home where she died.
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