Tributes Paid To Former Councillor Harvey Rose

Represented Southfield ward for twenty years before stepping down in 2014

Harvey Rose

Former colleagues have paid tribute to the former Southfield ward councillor Harvey Rose, whose funeral will take place later this week at St Alban’s Church Acton Green, W4.

Mr Rose stood down as the Liberal Democrat councillor for the area in 2014 after twenty years in local politics.

Andrew Mitchell served as a Lib Dem councillor alongside Harvey from 1994 to 2006. He said, “Harvey Rose was a political colleague and a great friend. I was sad to hear of his passing after a prolonged period of illness. He and his wife Maggie, who sadly passed away some years ago, were long-term residents of Antrobus Road (their New Year’s Day lunch parties were renowned - not least for Maggie’s delicious kedgeree), although more recently he moved to a flat on the other side of the High Road.

“I first met Harvey in the early 1990s when I was an aspiring Liberal Democrat candidate for a seat on Ealing Council. Hailing from Northwood in Middlesex, Harvey made his life and career in London, working for many years as a solicitor in the civil service. He had a great passion for Chiswick. Elected in 1994, after some 50 years of unbroken Conservative success, Harvey represented Southfield Ward with distinction for twenty years and for much of that time he was leader of the Liberal Democrat group at Ealing Town Hall. He campaigned on many issues, most memorably to prevent the conversion of St Alban’s Church into flats, and worked tirelessly to help individual constituents - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“He also played a significant role in the foundation of the Chiswick Book Festival - now an established feature of the W4 calendar. Though a lifelong Liberal, Harvey was not a partisan politician and was always happy to work on a cross-party basis when that was the right thing to do. That was recognised when he was made a freeman of the Borough in 2018.

“However there was much more to Harvey than politics and his retirement years included extensive travel, a number of voluntary roles (most notably as a guide at the Chelsea Physic garden) and a multitude of academic courses - mainly focussed on art history and the Renaissance, as well as perfecting his Italian. Not least he was a very competitive bridge player and whenever I played as his partner he would not hesitate to offer acerbic comments on the (many) inadequacies in my bidding technique!

“Though Harvey and Margaret did not have children, he was supported to the end by his nephew Rob, his brother Nick and his very many friends in the local area. A true man of Chiswick, he will be sorely missed.”

Don Tanswell, chairman of the Southfield Park Triangle Residents Association (SPTRA), said, “Way back in 2009, we were in our formative years, penniless and Harvey wanted to help to get us established – we wanted an online presence. Harvey insisted we apply to the Ward Forum for an allowance of £300 to help set up our website. The grant was approved – our website was launched!

“It’s extraordinary in these times of continual change that Harvey was our local Southfield councillor for over 20 years. Locally he was instrumental in negotiating the original funding for our local playground in Southfield Rec. Harvey had diverse interests, including volunteering at the Oxfam bookshop in Chiswick and guiding visitors around the Chelsea Physic garden. His support helped us launch the SPTRA and his erudition often left us in awe, joining us as he did at our quiz nights.”

July 3, 2021