Gladys Foster  (1929-2012)

GLADYS Foster, formerly Herriott, was a long serving councillor both for the county and district.

A KGGS old girl, Mrs Foster was president of the Grantham and District Scout Association and a governor of Gonerby Hill Foot Primary School.

She had represented Grantham for 29 years, first on Kesteven then Lincolnshire County Council when she lost her Grantham North West seat by fewer than 100 votes.

But this time she was standing as an independent after she had been deselected by the Conservatives in favour of the winner Edna Chapman.

Losing the seat ended her position on the social services committee and down scaled her work for the disabled whose cause she had championed, although her campaign was dogged by illness.

She also represented the Green Hill ward on South Kesteven District Council since it was set up 28 years earlier.

She was Town Mayor in 1987-88.

She married John Foster, who was also a district councillor, who had collapsed and died during his Mayoral duties.

Mrs Foster’s achievements as a councillor included getting funding for the Paragon cinema and came up with the idea of having Princess Diana plant a tree on St Peter’s Hill green when she came to town during Mrs Foster’s year as mayor.