Queen’s Birthday Honours List - MBE for June Stubbs, pioneer of conservation

Published: 17 June 2011
by JOSH LOEB

SHE professed herself “surprised” at being included in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List but “Westminster village” resident June Ann Stubbs is already on comparatively familiar terms with royalty.

A member of the RSA, she has met Prince Philip, its former president, several times and has on occasion written to members of the royal family about planning matters as part of her role as chair of conservationist group The Thorney Island Society. 

Miss Stubbs, who was made MBE for her services to conservation, trained as a sculptor at Central St Martins and spent six years “teaching murderers” in Wormwood Scrubs.

“They were nice murderers in those days,” she said. “They weren’t like the youngsters nowadays, going around with knives in their pockets.”

As part of her work for the Thorney Island Society Miss Stubbs helped save a public library in Great Smith Street – the first in the country – when it was threatened with demolition by the regime of Shirley Porter; but she is as modest about her achievements as she is taciturn.

When asked about her greatest achievement she said simply: “Keeping going.”

Founded in 1985, The Thorney Island Society takes its name from the island on the Thames where Westminster Abbey was built. 

Its committee, which has included such figures as Lord Rees-Mogg and Lady Aitken, is consulted by the council and campaigns for the preservation of noteworthy buildings in areas of Westminster including the Royal Parks and the “Westminster village” – the historic streets around the abbey and parliament.

Recently the society campaigned (unsuccessfully) for the council to turn down an application to build the controversial Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park.

Architect Tom Ball, a society committee member, said Miss Stubbs was a pioneer in the field of building preservation.

He said: “If you go back 25 years the idea of conservation was pretty low priority. June and others have helped change that.”

Others honoured in the birthday list included: 

• Sheila Maeve Daley, who was made MBE for her crucial role in the education of thousands of Westminster residents at Westminster Kingsway College. 

The lecturer and education administrator is a driving force behind WKC and has worked there since 1987. 

She was honoured for services to further education.

• Woman’s Hour presenter Jennifer (Jenni) Susan Murray was made a dame for services to radio broadcasting.

• Actor Colin Firth, who lives in Mayfair and starred in the Oscar-winning film The King’s Speech, was awarded CBE for services to drama.

• Photographer Samantha (Sam) Taylor-Wood, based in Fitzrovia, was given an OBE.