Her husband was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds in 1950 , and he was knighted in 1963 , making Penelope '' ' Lady Aitken ' '' . She devoted herself to community work in support of her husband 's political career , becoming a magistrate and running the Clothing Exchange , which played a major role in helping the victims of the East Coast floods in 1953 . Eventually she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire ( MBE )
East Coast floods in 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
Penelope, Lady Aitken