Katy Andrews

Subject: Katy Andrews RIP
To: 

Katy was in good spirits on Saturday when she lead part of a cycle ride beating the bounds of the old Borough of Walthamstow.

Sadly, at some time during the early hours of Sunday she suddenly died in her flat. She was discovered by a close friend and the matter is in the hands of HM Coroner. I am confident that the death was through natural causes. It has come as a tremendous shock to her wide circle of friends and acquaintances. I also attach a photograph of her last cycle ride.

If you have been copied in and do not know Katy, please accept my apologies.

Joe Ward

Chair, New Lammas Lands Defence Committee

Katy Andrews

It is now a week since we learnt of the sudden death of Katy Andrews and the consequences are only just sinking in. I knew her for over 30 years but I am not sure I really knew her. She had the most amazing brain managing to get a BA and BSc - it did not matter what subject got raised in the pub she always had a "google like" indepth knowledge. 

As an ardent environmental campaigner she would walk in to a meeting and everyone knew she had arrived. She would put her point of view across immediately which then set the agenda for the rest of the meeting. As she knew her subject this was no bad thing unless you were chairing the meeting and then it became a bit of a battle! Some people were offended but I always took the view that however she wanted to get her point across it was based on a real understanding of the subject.

The Katy I knew was passionate about the Lower Lea Valley. She recognised that it was under threat since the days of John Nash who fought the GLC in the sixties and stopped Walthamstow Marsh becoming a gravel pit. She kept a close eye on the Riding Stables fearing it would become so large it would take away land which is our right to roam. Her Beating the Bounds event each year was to ensure we understood what we were likely to loose if we did not stand up to our rights to use the land for recreation. 

Although she had many battles with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority she had a respect for their position and a good relationship with some of the officers. She used the New Lammas Lands Defence Committee as her vehicle. She had bitter battles with Waltham Forest Council, but it was usually because the council would not stand up for its residents rights. One of her biggest upsets was losing the battle to stop the flats being built on Essex Wharf. It was like a knife going into her when she saw how the area has been spoilt by this inappropriate development.

Her recent campaigning was to get pubs made Community Assets to slow down their demise. She regarded them not just as historic buildings but key places where the community could get together and have social reaction - she was not in to the new social media, preferring the old socialising!

Katy was a folk singer, regular organist at churches, a hymn writer, a white witch and an expert on pagen activities such as her recent Apple Tree blessing events in mid winter. No doubt she had other talents but I will leave those for others to describe.

Katy will be very much missed.

Adrian