Glebe House care home in Chaldon recently celebrated the 100th birthday of resident Beatrice Wilson, who also received a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla. Her daughter told the Tandridge Independent about her mother’s life.
‘Beatrice, known as Betty, was born on 8 June 1924 in a property in Wedmans Lane, Rotherwick, Hampshire. Her father was in the Army and after his demob the family moved to The Street in the same village.
Betty attended Rotherwick Village Primary School until age 11, when she transferred to Hartley Wintney Secondary School, travelling on the school bus from Rotherwick. After leaving school at age 15, her father loaned her enough money to buy a bicycle, which she used to travel to her first job as a parlour maid in the home of General Alan Brooke, 1st Viscount Alan Brooke, Chief of Imperial General Staff and Winston Churchill’s military right hand man during World War II.
Betty had many adventures while working at Ferney Close/Hunters Lodge (the general’s home). The general was well protected with soldiers guarding his home and gardens and Betty almost got shot by them one late night when sneaking back to the house from a dance.
It was at one of these dances that Betty met Ken, a member of the Royal Air Force on leave from West Africa. Ken and Betty were married at Aldershot Registry Office and Ken returned to Sierra Leone. During this time Betty worked at a nursery near Hook growing, among other things, carnations and tomatoes.
Later Ken and Betty moved in with Ken’s parents in Dogmersfield. Ken’s dad Walter was a gardener for the author Daphne du Maurier, who at the time lived in Church Crookham, near Fleet. Walter was also the organist at Dogmersfield Church and Winchfield Hospital.
The couple bought a 17th Century rundown cottage in Dogmersfield and, after refurbishing it, they moved in and lived there for many years. Their daughter Susan was born in Hartley Wintney in 1947 and lived at the cottage until she married.
Ken was sent to Farnham Art School by a benefactor in the village and held several exhibitions of his work. Betty assisted him in his art and signwriting business but also found time to take up further domestic service at Tundry House in the village, where she continued to work part-time for many years.
When Ken became ill he and Betty moved to a modern house in Fleet. After Ken died, Betty continued to live there for many years and was very friendly with many of her neighbours.
A few years ago, Betty came to live with her daughter and son-in-law in Reigate. She then moved to sheltered living in Redhill, until then becoming a resident at Glebe House.’
