Corinne Templer (1929-2020)

posted in: Obituary | 0

Our honorary vice president Corinne Templer sadly died in Northwick Park Hospital on Thursday 17th December. She was 91 and had been receiving treatment for a gastro-intestinal problem, together with hospital-acquired Covid-19, from which she failed to recover. Her family were able to be with her when she passed away.

Robert Gurd, former chairman of the Society, recalls “I first came to hear about Corinne in 1985 when I was involved in trying to save the former Northfields Odeon from closure and possible demolition for a supermarket. A member of the Cinema Theatre Association had mentioned that she was one of two formidable Ealing ladies who had been involved in saving the centre of Ealing from the depredations of developers and that I should get to know her.

Her reputation, which had spread far and wide, resulted from her close involvement with a long and arduous battle against an Ealing Town Centre redevelopment scheme in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time, the Civic Society and a number of local residents’ associations, one of which was led by Corinne, were in the vanguard of fighting the Council and a developer who were determined to build a concrete monstrosity in the centre of Ealing together with a six-lane bypass which would have run along Mattock Lane, threatening the house in which she was bringing up her family. After a landmark public inquiry the groups were successful in pushing through a scheme which resulted in the Ealing Broadway Centre that we know today. She was personally involved with campaigning, fundraising and appearing in front of Government inspectors at several public inquiries on that and other similar schemes which threatened the character of the centre of Ealing, including the Arcadia development and the compulsory purchase order of the Empire Cinema site. She was for many years Chairman of Walpole Residents’ Association and treasurer of Ealing Civic Society. She became a good friend and will be much missed.

Anyone who came to know Corinne as a result of her local activities will be familiar with how determined she was to protect the interests of her adopted town and she was prepared to go to endless lengths to help people with similar intentions. As my successor, Ann Chapman, said when she heard of her passing: ‘Corinne was a stalwart of the community and a real fighter for the local environment – there are not many around who could match her knowledge and tenacity.’”

We send her family our sincere condolences. A longer appreciation of her life will appear in our next newsletter.