25/07/2026
From PC Chair to Pushchair . . . .
Penny Taylor demands order in the nursery!
The meeting of the Parish Council on 7 July marked the end of an era, being the first meeting following the resignation of its Chair, Penny Taylor who, after ten years, has stepped down to make time for increased family commitments. She leaves the PC in good hands; Ian Hunt is the new Chair and Stewart Smith has replaced Ian as Chair of the Planning Committee.
Penny moved to Much Hadham in 1969 where her parents established a tradition of community service which Penny wholeheartedly embraced. She joined the PC in 2015 at a fractious period in its history during which Penny’s ability to rise above the personalities involved and remain calm under pressure (even while dealing with personal health issues which would have led most to have taken a step back) was immediately apparent. Following a spate of resignations and an influx of new councillors, Penny was elected Chair just one year later, in 2016. In the years that followed she steered the PC into a sustained period of harmony and “team effort”. That she remained Chair for ten years is a tribute to her work ethic and personal and management skills. Penny has confessed that she will miss the camaraderie on the PC which is part of her legacy. Happily, her services will not be lost entirely, however. She has agreed to continue to carry on the invaluable work managing the Burial Authority and completing the digitisation of the Burial Authority records.
Penny’s 10 years as Chair has been one of progress and modernisation. Internal procedures have been upgraded. She chaired both the newly formed Staffing Committee and the Burial Authority, overseeing the extension of the burial ground at Perry Green, ensuring future capacity. The Queens Jubilee bus-shelters and village sign were refurbished and the never-ending work to keep drains, gullies and pavements clear was progressed. She put fresh energy and impetus into the Annual Parish Meeting each May. Guided by Ian Hunt and with the assistance of a number of residents, a Neighbourhood Plan was completed – a major task that took fully seven years to complete. Penny leaves the PC with a major review and refurbishment of the playground underway.
In addition to her contribution to the PC, Penny will be known to many in the parish and beyond, as editor of the Parish Magazine, a director and participator in both the Little Hadham Pantomime and Standon Drama Group, flute player in the Much Hadham church orchestra at Christmas, and for her memorable appearances in two village bands, made all the more memorable, it is alleged, by her rather small red dress, the like of which might be thought unusual attire for the Chair of a Parish Council! For 10 years she ran the Cards For Good Causes Christmas Card popup shop in the United Reformed Church in Bishop’s Stortford (a role which required an immense amount of work between September and December each year), stepping down only when required to do so through illness. Her energy appears boundless, as does her determination; it is typical of her that she continued skiing even after two hip replacements. She leaves the PC with the thanks and gratitude not only of her former fellow-councillors, but of the entire parish community.
By Cllr Duncan McDonald
