Frieda Warman-Brown, who has died aged 83, was a teacher, headteacher, lifelong Labour party supporter, activist and campaigner for rights for women and refugees. She was a loyal and supportive friend to me for more than 50 years.
Frieda was born in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, and grew up in Dulwich, south London, where she went to James Allen’s girls’ school. She had fond childhood memories of canvassing with her sister, Pat, and her mother, Sophie (nee Levene), for her father, George Brown. He was Labour MP for Belper, Derbyshire, from 1945 and later deputy prime minister and foreign secretary under Harold Wilson in the 1960s. Frieda loved the constituency and that work led into her lifelong relationship with both the area and the Labour party.
Teaching was her passion. She trained in Bognor and her first job was as an English teacher at Patcham school, Brighton. She married Brian Warman in 1964, and even after the birth of their four children, she taught part-time. She loved it and many dozens of pupils visited her house for extra help, advice and tuition. She returned to full-time teaching when Brian died in 1971, when her children were still all under six years old. When Britain offered asylum to Vietnamese “boat” people in the late 1970s, Frieda also became guardian to two unaccompanied teenage Vietnamese boys, Can and Phong.
In the 1980s she was head teacher at the Hounslow Language Unit – set up to help children without English as their first language. She became a passionate supporter for these pupils, helping them integrate quickly into British life and the education system.
Frieda retired to Hove, East Sussex, in 1993 and quickly became known in the local Labour party. Hove was “true blue” and when she became a prospective council candidate for the 1996 local elections she was not expected to win. To her joy, and the surprise of many, Labour took control of the council for the first time and Frieda was elected as a councillor. She served until 2004 and was also chair of the education committee.
Despite her busy working life, Frieda found time for reading – especially novels and political biographies – and never missed the daily newspaper (and the crossword). She enjoyed travelling widely throughout Europe and further afield to destinations including India, the US, China and Russia. She was a radio and music fan, and an avid and frequent theatregoer. She loved her pet dogs, and at one point had four dachshunds.
Frieda is survived by her children, Rachael, Emily, Jessica and Daniel, and four grandchildren, by Can and Phong, and by her sister, Pat.
