A plaque has been unveiled in memory of town councillor Beryl Washington, who served the town between 1988 and 2014.

The plaque has been placed at the end of the Quay wall on Embankment Road, under the newly extended lights that now stretch all the way to the seating shelter. This was one of the projects that Beryl was particularly passionate about.

Cllr Chris Povey, Mayor of Kingsbridge, called Beryl a “hugely popular councillor who did a huge amount for the town” and that it was one of her “ambitions” to get the lights extended down the Quay.

Beryl died at St Luke’s Hospice on September 1, 2014, aged 82. She made Kingsbridge her home in 1970 and opened the first pharmacy in Fore Street, with husband David, and shortly after opened a second on The Quay, which she ran for 21 years.

She became a town councillor in 1988 and never stood down despite becoming ill in her later years. She served as Town Mayor from 1997 to 1998 and she also represented Kingsbridge Ward on South Hams District Council from 1992 to 2003.

She served on numerous committees on both authorities and was well known for championing town projects and lobbying strongly on behalf of local residents. To quote her own councillor biography ‘she was happy to serve… and help people in need’.

Kingsbridge Town Mayor at the time she died, Cllr Wayne Grills, said: “Kingsbridge has lost a great friend. Our meetings will not be the same without her deep knowledge of the town that she gave so much to. She epitomised all the best traditions of public service: selfless effort, absolute commitment, and real determination”.

Watch Cllr Chris Povey dedicate the plaque to Beryl Washington in the video below.