Former Wisbech mayor Joan Diggle has died

Tributes have been paid to former Wisbech mayor and Labour party stalwart Joan Diggle who has died at the age of 86 in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn.

Joan, who was married to husband Barry for 35 years, who was well-known in the local community for her involvement in numerous organisations died yesterday (Sunday).

She worked for many years at Metalbox where she was the full-time union convener and she played a key-role as the first ever woman member of the executive board of the Transport and General Workers Union (now Unite).

Barry said: "When she joined the executive and had to go down to the headquarters they had to convert one of the toilets for her as they had no ladies toilet before that. She really was breaking new ground when she joined the executive."

Born in Brighton, Joan moved to Wisbech in her late teens to marry her first husband, who she later divorced after over 25 years of marriage.

She then met and married Barry in 1987 and together the pair worked in local politics as members of the Labour party with both becoming councillors representing the north wards on Wisbech Town Council and Fenland District Council.

Joan, who lived in West Walton, was proud to serve as the town mayor in 1996/97 attending dozens of events while in the post.

She served as a councillor for around 20 years alongside Barry who became the first and, so far, only Labour chairman of Fenland District Council.

The pair were active members of numerous organisations together including Wisbech Lions with Joan once gain notching up a first becoming the first female Lion when she joined. She went on to be both chairman and later president of the group.

Her many interests all centred around working for the community and she was involved with the Oasis Centre in its early days among other organisations.

She was on the selection board for local magistrates and also served on a number of tribunal services as well as working to help Mencap, a charity close to her heart as she had a nephew with Downs Syndrome.

Both Joan and Barry were keen members of the Fenland Twinning Association and enjoyed a number of visits to Australia and Germany through the organisation.

Travel was one of Joan's interests and as well as travelling for holidays, she also visited places such as El-Salvador while on the executive board of the TGWU.

She was also proud to have received invitations to and attended a number of royal garden parties at Buckingham Palace.

As well as Barry Joan leaves a brother Peter, who lives in Brighton. Her sister Joyce died earlier this year.

There will be a small, private cremation service for Joan.

Barry said: "We both agreed when we went we didn't want a lot of fuss. Joan worked hard for the community and she was very proud of what she achieved. She loved being Wisbech mayor and she enjoyed her time with the union.

"Sadly she has been less active in recent years but she still kept in touch with what was happening locally, she loved serving the community. She had been in hospital for the past four weeks before she died."

Wisbech Town Council will be flying its flag at half-mast in honour of Joan.