Local MP, Friends and Colleagues Pay Tribute To Penny Flood

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Stalwart Labour Party supporter and much loved member of Neighbour Net

The MP for Brentford & Isleworth, Ruth Cadbury has led tributes to Penny Flood, Advertising Manager of Neighbour Net, the publisher of this web site, who has died after an illness.

Penny was a long time member and staunch supporter of the Labour Party in Chiswick and Ms Cadbury said her passing would "leave a large gap in the local Labour community".

Ruth said: "Penny was the sort of selfless individual that makes a political party in a community work.

"She was a staunch Labour supporter for many years and was always willing to help at fundraising events or at street stalls.

"She was at the heart of things, helping to coordinate election campaigning, delivering leaflets, whatever was needed. She supported the party through good and back times."

Jan Hewlett, chair of the Gunnersbury Triangle Steering Group said she was "deeply saddened".

"Penny was one of the key people in saving the woodland at Gunnersbury Triangle. Right at the start of the campaign in April 1982, she somehow arranged for an article to appear in the New
Scientist, so reaching an international audience including leading conservationists of that time.

"This kind of good publicity helped to get influential people to take us seriously. Without Penny's help in those early days it is doubtful if we could have saved the woodland, and this corner of Chiswick might well have developed in a very different way.

"Penny was such fun to work with, totally sincere in her love of the natural world and utterly professional in using her journalistic skills to support the cause. We will miss her good company at Gunnersbury Triangle committees and community Open Days."

Penny Flood was born in Paignton in 1947. After school she worked in a bank. When she came to London she worked mainly in newspaper ad sales, specialising in the computer press. She later got a degree in earth sciences as a mature student at Kingston University.

She met her husband Malcolm Peltu when he was editor of Computer Weekly, and she lived with him for over 40 years, mainly in Chiswick. For 15 of those years she worked at Neighbour Net selling advertising to local businesses.

Colleague Caroline Villiers said: "Penny was a vibrant presence. You always knew if Penny was there and also knew you were in for a good time. Her straight talking style was coupled with a love of animals and small children, a tender heart and tenacious loyalty. I will particularly miss her theatre reviews: how she managed to take notes in the dark during a performance and still produce a succinct and perceptive analysis of a show is a mystery. She tackled her illness in her usual stalwart manner and with immense bravery. She leaves a big void both professionally and personally."

The editor of Chiswickw4.com Anne Flaherty said:" Penny was a person of immense integrity, she didn't suffer fools gladly and she always saw right through to the heart of things. I will miss our group outings to the theatre. It was one of her great passions, along with being a voracious reader, and supporter of local issues. She was very dedicated to the preservation of the Gunnersbury Triangle nature reserve. She also wrote excellent restaurant reviews and, as a strict vegetarian, this was no mean feat. She will be sorely missed, and our neighbournet gatherings will never be quite the same again."

The editor of EalingToday.co.uk, Annemarie Flanagan said:" Penny was always great fun to be with, full of intelligence and wit. She had a really strong sense of right and wrong and was very clear about her values. Unique in many ways, Penny will be sadly missed."

Editor of Hammersmith Today, FulhamSW6.com and ShepherdsBushW12.com Sheila Prophet said: "Penny was always huge fun to be with and one of the great pleasures of being her friend was being invited to go along with her to local theatres.

" She had very eclectic tastes, enjoying everything from serious dramas tackling subjects such as race and religion to the fun of the Lyric’s panto, and from big productions like Matthew Bourne’s ballet Sleeping Beauty performed in front of a packed house in Wimbledon to shows created on a shoestring for audiences of a few dozen in Baron Court’s tiny basement theatre.

"While I sat back and enjoyed the show, she would be busy with her pen and notebook. Afterwards, we would head for a nearby bar or restaurant and mull over what we had both watched and I would fondly imagine I was providing helpful and profound opinions. But then her review would appear, and it would invariably be thoughtful, surprising, beautifully written and containing details and insights I hadn’t even considered."

Here are some examples of Penny at her peak, cheering some memorable local productions:

Sleeping Beauty: Delightful, Surprising Re-telling of Age-old Fairy Story
Penny Flood says Matthew Bourne's exciting production is a Wimbledon treat

Yang Lian Reads Moving Narrative Poem at Coronet Print Room
I wasn't prepared for how beautiful it would be, says Penny Flood

Bush Theatre's Pink Mist Is Not to Be Missed
This amazing production makes its anti-war point perfectly, says Penny Flood

Seldom Seen Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta Offers Bonkers Bavarian Fun
Penny Flood has a grand night out at Barons Court Theatre

Lyric's Seagull is Clever, Challenging and Highly Entertaining
Penny Flood enjoys a sparkling update of Chekhov's masterpiece

Penny is survived by her husband Malcolm, her sisters, and extended family.

At Penny's request, there was no funeral ceremony and no flowers, but donations can be made in her memory to Target Ovarian Cancer or Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

October 2, 2019