BETTY WAS BORN ON THE 5TH APRIL 1932 IN CHICHESTER ROAD,PORTSMOUTH. SOMETHING IRONIC ABOUT THAT IS THAT VERY SAME YEAR A RACEHORSE CALLED APRIL THE FIFTH WON THE DERBY AND THE FAMILY ALL HAD A FLUTTER AND WON - IN YEARS TO COME BETTY AND KEN WOULD OFTEN ENJOY A DAY OUT AT THE RACES. BETTY WAS THE MIDDLE DAUGHTER OF 3 CHILDREN, HAVING AN ELDER BROTHER JOHN AND A YOUNGER SISTER- ME-JAYNE. MY EARLY MEMORIES OF HER WERE AS MY "PROTECTOR". SHE WOULD ALWAYS GRAB ME WHEN I WAS LITTLE AND RUN OFF WITH ME UNDER HER ARM IF I WAS IN TROUBLE, TO SAVE ME A PUNISHMENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY I ALWAYS MADE SURE SHE WAS AROUND BEFORE I GOT UP TO ANYTHING. HAVING LOST HER MOTHER AT THE AGE OF 13 AND HER FATHER AT 19, BETTY DECIDED TO FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HER FATHER AND BROTHER AND JOIN THE ROYAL NAVY. HER TIME AS A WREN WERE HAPPY TIMES FOR HER, IT WAS DURING THIS TIME SHE MET KEN, AND ALSO VERY PROUDLY TOOK PART IN THE PROCESSION FOR THE QUEENS CORONATION. I USED TO LOOK FORWARD TO HER COMING HOME ON LEAVE, OUR GRANDMOTHER LIVED IN THE SAME STREET AS US, AND BETTY USED TO TAKE ME TO VISIT. GRAN USED TO LOVE TO PLAY CARDS, AND BETTY ALWAYS USED TO WIN-SHE NEVER LOST- THE ONE DAY SHE TOLD ME HER SECRET, SHE USED TO SIT OPPOSITE GRAN WHO WORE LARGE GLASSES AND SHE COULD SEE HER CARDS IN THEIR REFLECTION. GRAN NEVER DID FIND OUT. SADLY BETTY CONTRACTED POLIO WHILST IN THE NAVY AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO BE INVALIDED OUT OF THE WRENS.AFTER A VERY LONG CONVALESANCE SHE MADE A FULL RECOVERY AND WENT ON TO MARRY KEN IN 1954. THEY STARTED MARRIED LIFE IN HENLEY ON THAMES AND 1 YEAR LATER SUE WAS BORN. SHORTLY AFTER THEY MOVED TO WOODLEY WHERE THEY WERE TO LIVE FOR THE REST OF THEIR MARRIED LIFE. IN THOSE DAYS WE DIDNT ALL HAVE CARS OR TELEPHONES, SO OUR MAIN POINT OF COMMUNICATION WAS BY WRITING. THIS WE DID QUITE OFTEN. WHEN SUE WAS 2 WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM BETTY INFORMING US THAT SHE WAS EXPECTING HER SECOND CHILD. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER WE RECEIVED ANOTHER LETTER TELLING US SHE WAS EXPECTING TWINS. ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THAT WE HAD ANOTHER LETTER TO SAY SHE WAS EXPECTING TRIPLETS, WE DIDNT OPEN ANY MORE OF HER LETTERS! THE TRIPLETS WERE BORN IN JUNE 1958, SADLY 2 OF THE BABIES DIED, BUT JOYFULLY WE HAVE GILL HERE WITH US. 7 YEARS ON THEIR FAMILY WAS COMPLETE BY THE ARRIVAL OF MO. BETTY HAD A PASSION FOR DANCING AND WAS A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE WOODLEY DANCE CLUB, SHE ALSO PLAYED A VERY ACTIVE PART ON THE COMMITEE. HER MEMBERSHIP STRETCHED TO OVER 50 YEARS. WHEN KEN DIED IN 2008, HER FOCUS BECAME HER 3 DAUGHTERS AND HER BELOVED CAT MORRIS WHO WAS A CONSTANT COMPANION FOR HER. SHE PARTICULARLY LOVED HER DAILY VISITS TO THE DAY CENTRE IN WOODLEY WHERE SHE WAS APPARENTLY A VERY LIVELY CHARACTER AND KEPT THE STAFF ON THEIR TOES! DUE TO THE PROGRESSION OF BETTYS ILLNESS, THESE VISITS HAD TO CEASE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS TIME THAT SHE MOVED TO ALEXANDRA PLACE. THE LAST FEW MONTHS WERE VERY DIFFICULT FOR HER AND HER FAMILY, BUT NOW AT LAST SHE CAN REST IN PEACE