Barbara Hughes (left), who served as the Mayor of Camden in 1994, 1989 and 2005, with her friend Rene Mackay – a trade unionist who died in 2006

THE only person to be the Mayor of Camden three times has passed away aged 92. Barbara Hughes spent a lifetime fighting for others and was named the borough’s first citizen in 1984, 1989 and 2005, during more than three decades at the Town Hall.

Friends said her rise through the ranks of councillors was driven by a burning passion for social justice, for helping others, and trying to create a fairer world.

Labour councillor Jonathan Simpson, himself twice mayor, said: “If you were to write a history of Camden Council, you will have throughout it this rich contribution that women have made to our borough – one of the largest and richest chapters will be about Barbara Hughes.”

He added: “On the council, she was one of the people who made sure King’s Cross was cleaned up. She led demonstrations. She made sure people listened to their voice.”

Ms Hughes had lived in Camden since 1954 and had been a pupil at Parliament Hill School in her childhood. She would recall being taken to the 1948 London Olympics aged 17 with her then boyfriend, much to her father’s disapproval.

In 2012, when the Olympics returned to London, Ms Hughes, then 81, was one of the first people to sign up as a volunteer.

She married John Hughes when she was 19, and they had three children before separating. Ms Hughes began working for the Post Office and British Telecom and joined the Communication Workers Union, helping her fellow workers as a shop steward.

In the 1980s, she was living in Monica Shaw Court in Somers Town.

She was active in the Labour Party and stood as a councillor in 1981, an election she won by a large majority.

As well as being the Mayor three times, she held senior positions including being the borough’s community safety chief, overseeing police work and tackling anti-social behaviour.

One of her many achievements in those early years was helping secure a patch of land in Gray’s Inn Road for public use.

She was a key member of the founding of the Calthorpe community garden project, which continues today. During this period, she dedicated time to helping those caught up in the miners’ strike.

Her partner in the 1980s, also called John, died unexpectedly while they were on holiday in Rome, leaving Ms Hughes heartbroken.

Her granddaughter, Laura Hughes, recalled: “It was very hard for her at the time, but she was always determined. Because she had found things in her own life hard, she poured all that energy and emotion into helping others. She was determined. She lived and breathed politics and the borough of Camden meant so much to her. She loved the borough as if it were her own child.”

Ms Hughes would walk the streets of her patch and spot issues and problems and then make sure they got fixed.

Her politics were on the left, but she did not support Jeremy Corbyn as leader – instead she believed Sir Keir Starmer was the right answer for Labour and she held strong hopes for a Labour government.

She was also a fan of the Royal Family. She loved visits to the cinema and films with strong female leads.

Her family were at the heart of her life and she loved hosting get-togethers, laying on a big spread, and had many people not directly related to her but she had made a member of her extended circle of those she cared for.

Later in life, she moved from Somers Town to Queen’s Crescent and settled in Ashdown Court.

Barbara Hughes during her days on the council

Her daily walks along the Crescent gave her plenty of friendly faces to stop and chat with, and she was a regular at the Delicio Cafe, where staff knew to cook her favourite: “Set Breakfast Number One”, made up of a potato pancake with sausages and tomatoes.

Her table in the cafe became a place to share memories and gossip.

Cllr Simpson said: “The Calthorpe still flourishes today and it is a fantastic testament to the work Barbara did. She stood down technically as a councillor in 2006, but it didn’t stop her. You’d see her absolutely everywhere.”

He added: “She never stopped. She was a human dynamo but the most important thing was the support she gave to young women in the community to stand as a candidate to be a councillor.”

Granddaughter Laura recalled being made Ms Hughes’ mayoral consort and saw first-hand how much she enjoyed attending meetings, celebrations, events and dinners with the Mayoral chain round her neck.

“She never forgot what an honour it was for her,” she added.