Betty Prime (26 Apr 1924 - 6 Aug 2024)

In loving memory of Betty Prime who sadly passed away on 6th August 2024

Remembering Betty

Mum was born in Stratford, London to Fred and Ethel Savage. The story went that her Dad went to a football match and after he’d gone her mother picked up her suitcase and, accompanied by her mother, went to Stratford Hospital on the bus or tram for the birth. Fred was a travelling salesman and Ethel stayed at home. They lived in a two-roomed flat in Barnsbury, N1. There was no kitchen and Mum recalls her mother getting water from a tap on the landing and washing up in a bowl on the table. There was a basement with a large copper and her mother used to go down there on a Monday to do the washing. The house was owned by a Mrs Davis who always seemed to be in bed! Mum might have had a relatively humble start in life but she was actually descended from Dutch royalty – her seven times great-grandfather was Henry Frederick Nassau, Prince of Orange.

Just before she was four years old they moved to a new house in a very long road in Palmers Green, N.13. She had her own bedroom and remembered having a lovely doll which she named Betty. She remembered the milkman delivering with his horse and cart and the Walls ice cream man who came round on his bicycle. They had a lodger called Miss Watson to help pay the bills.

When she was five she started Primary School which was in walking distance. She enjoyed school and her favourite subjects at school were music, PE and domestic science. She remembered it took the whole of a two-hour lesson to learn how to iron a blouse! When she was nearly ten years old her sister Joan was born.

Secondary school followed at age 11 and she was there until 1939 when the school was evacuated because of the war. Her parents didn’t want her to go away so she stayed at home and attended Pitmans Business College to learn shorthand, typing and commerce. Her main ambition in life was to work in an office until she was old enough to get married and have a family.

When she was eight she joined the Sunday School at Bowes Park Congregational Church and at 15 was asked if she would like to join the choir. This is where she met Dad as he was also a member of the choir. On Saturday evenings a whole crowd of teenagers met in the church hall to play table tennis and other games and, quite often, to have a sing-song round the piano. She had had a boyfriend called Charlie but wasn’t impressed when he took her to the cinema and asked “shall I take your money now or later?” Dad would walk Mum home afterwards and in 1941 they had their first date when Dad took her to see Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in “Strike up the Band” at the local cinema. They got engaged in 1943 and were married in 1945 just after the end of the war in Europe. Mum’s first job was as a shorthand typist at the Bank of Montreal in Threadneedle Street, London. She was paid £2 a week which had risen to £2 15 shillings when she left after five years. She next worked at her father-in-law’s office.

They rented an upstairs flat and in 1949 Margaret was born, followed by Jennifer in 1951. There was only one bedroom into which was squeezed a double bed, single bed and a cot. Dad’s brother and his family lived in the flat downstairs. There were daily trips to the shops to buy dinner as there were no fridges or freezers then.

When we were young Mum made her own and our clothes. Maggie remembers her making a red, white and blue cotton dress for her to wear at the coronation in 1953. She was a great fan of the Royal Family and that was probably why she named her first daughter after the two princesses – Margaret Elizabeth. Jenny recalls matching dresses in different colours and angora cardigans for her and Maggie. I remember a lime green trouser suit with anchor buttons – all the rage in the 1960’s! There were always home-made cakes for tea which we weren’t allowed to eat until we’d had at least two slices of bread and butter. Mum passed on her skills in sewing, knitting and cooking to her daughters and granddaughters.

She belonged to a group at her church called the Young Wives Club (which later had to be re-named The Wives Club as most of them were no longer young!) Every year they would put on a concert for family and the Old Folks Club in the church hall. The three of us were roped in to perform alongside Mum, belting out songs such as Yankee Doodle Dandy and Climb Every Mountain. During the war Mum had acted in a pantomime which Dad had written and they later both appeared in the play “Quiet Wedding” with a Drama Group that Dad had started.

In 1953 Mum and Dad were able to buy a new semi-detached house in Oakwood, N.14 and I was born there in 1957.

When I was in my late teens and I was the only one at home, Mum decided to get a part-time job and worked in a number of branches of Boots the Chemist until she was forced to retire at 60. I remember that she put some of her earnings in a special tin and saved up so that every six weeks or so we could have special treats such as a meal out or trip to the theatre.

When the three of us had all married, left home and moved to villages Mum decided that she wanted to move to a village as well. Dad took a bit of persuading but they eventually found what they were looking for in Swaffham Prior and moved to Adams Road in 1987. They decided that the best way to make new friends would be to get involved in village life. So Mum joined the WI, serving on the committee and acting as President for three years. They took over the production of the village magazine – The Crier –and did that for over four years. Mum joined the Phoenix Singers in Burwell and, later, the Burwell Community Choir. They also joined the Burwell Music Circle and the Village Gardeners. Mum embroidered church kneelers, cleaned the church (well into her 90’s) and served endless cups of tea. For a short time she had a seasonal job in Heffers stationers selling Christmas cards and calendars. She helped serve lunches to the “old folk” at the Day Centre (she was older than most of them there!).

Mum loved her garden and was especially fond of clematis. She was frustrated when she could no longer manage to tend it. She was a talented poet and wrote rhymes for grandchildren and friends. How could we forget “The Saga of Betty’s Leak” and “Willie the Scarecrow”?

When Dad was ill with dementia Mum put her own life on hold to a great extent so she could care for him at home for as long as she was able.

Mum was grateful that she was able to visit her family in New Zealand three times. The third time, in 2018, at the age of 93, she decided to go on her own. She threw herself on the mercy of the airline and assumed they’d get her there safely, which they did – albeit it without her luggage – and she had a wonderful time.

Mum had three children, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was proud of their achievements and was always keen to hear their news. Here are some of their memories:-

Family days at Adams Road, with Newmarket sausages and Mum’s legendary sticky toffee puddings.

Her flapjacks which were nicknamed “concrete” as they were so hard, until she got a W I recipe for ones which were edible. Her delicious home-made chocolate sauce and crispy roast potatoes.

W.I. quizzes at Christmas and games of Rummikub, Happy Families and Bagatelle; table tennis in the garage. Her granddaughters remember trips to London on the tube in the school holidays to visit museums and department stores and Mum reading them Noddy stories at bedtime. Also trips to the park and feeding the ducks, the treat box and the toy cupboard.

She wrote a daily diary, was an avid list-maker and loved sending and receiving letters.

We remember Mum’s independent spirit and stubbornness – we got used to her asking for our advice and then promptly ignoring it!

When she could no longer live at home we were very fortunate in securing a place for her at Brampton Manor, close enough to Swaffham Prior that her friends could visit. After she’d settled in I asked her if she liked it there. “I’m not sure”, she said. I asked her why. She replied “Because it’s full of old people.” She explained that her friends in Swaffham Prior were all younger than her and now she was surrounded by people with the same problems as her – hearing and memory loss and mobility issues. Despite this, Mum appreciated the wonderful care she received at the home and enjoyed her visits from family and friends up until the end. We were so grateful that she could celebrate her 100th birthday with her family in April, including five who were able to make it over from New Zealand.

Family and friends – these were the most important things to Mum and they kept her “young at heart”. Thank you all for coming today to celebrate her life.