August 2026
Tributes have come in from many parts of the country following the death of one of the village’s best known and most respected residents, Lady Val Corbett. Val, who lived in Piccotts End for more than 50 years, passed away earlier this month after a short and unexpected illness. Despite her sprightly appearance, she always tried to keep her age a secret but, according to the friends who knew her best, was in fact 88.

Val, pictured here with her daughter Polly on her wedding day, was married for more than 30 years to the former Hemel Hempstead MP Robin Corbett, who was later elevated to the House of Lords. She was a leading member of the residents association in its early years.

Friend and neighbour Margaret Stanier paid this tribute: ‘Val was a great advocate for making Piccotts End as great as it can be, and set up the meeting at the Boars Head in the 1970s of people concerned about the traffic, which turned out to be the first meeting of PERA.’

Another longtime friend and neighbour, Bill Lear, wrote this eulogy.

‘Lady Val Corbett devoted the last twenty years of her life to building one of the most effective and humane prison‑reform networks in the UK. After the death in 2012 of her husband, Robin – long respected for his work on justice, rehabilitation, human rights and his support for the Iran Freedom movement – Val took up his causes with remarkable drive. Robin had been a committed advocate for democratic rights in Iran, and Val continued to honour that commitment by maintaining close ties with groups working for justice and political liberty, alongside her growing focus on prisoner reintegration.

‘She founded The Corbett Network, now a nationwide alliance of charities, social enterprises and employers dedicated to helping people leaving prison find work, training and stability. Under her leadership, the network grew from a small circle of committed organisations into a major national partnership offering grants, mentoring, employment pathways and practical support to thousands of people rebuilding their lives. Her “Founder’s Helping Hand” fund provided essentials for people on release – clothing, food, travel fares, work equipment and emergency items – ensuring that those starting again had at least a basic foundation.

‘Alongside this, she established Lady Val’s Professional Network, a women’s business network whose profits were channelled directly into her charitable work. Its motto – borrowed from Madeleine Albright – was one Val repeated often and with relish: “There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” Her events were known for their warmth, humour and her famous ice‑breaker: “How can I help you, and how can you help me?” 

‘Before her charity work, Val enjoyed a long and varied career in journalism and media. Born in Cape Town, Val began as a newspaper journalist in South Africa and moved in her early twenties to Fleet Street in London. As Val Hudson, she ran a hugely popular advice and shopping page in The Sun, where – much to her lifelong irritation – she was billed as “Little Val, the shoppers’ pal!” It became a running joke in the family, and she never quite forgave the headline writer.  Val later moved into broadcasting where she produced several television programmes and became a director of an independent production company.

‘She also built a substantial career as an author, co‑writing several novels with Eve Pollard, a notable figure who was at one time the editor of the Sunday Express, and is also the mother of Claudia Winkleman, and Joyce Hopkirk, who lives in Piccotts End and who she had known since her early London days.

‘Val took pride in never revealing her age. She felt age was used to limit professional women, and she famously “adjusted” her driving licence to lose a couple of years. It was typical of her: practical, mischievous, and determined not to let anyone put her in a box.

‘She leaves behind a daughter Polly, a successful columnist in her own right, Polly’s husband, Nick, and her adored grandson Albert, all of whom brought her enormous pride and joy, as well as family in Cape Town.

‘Val will be remembered for her energy, her directness, and her unwavering belief in second chances. Her legacy lives on in the organisations she supported, the people she helped into work, and the national network she built — a lasting tribute to both her and Robin’s commitment to rehabilitation, human dignity and freedom.  And, as well as all this, she was a great friend and always very amusing company. She has left a big hole in many lives.’