admin, Author at Herefordshire Lore

Obituary Betty Webb BEM, committee member

We are very sad announce the death of our much-loved, and long-standing committee member, Betty Webb, who died last month. She will be greatly missed by us all.

London-born Betty was a reluctant evacuee. Having lost her Mum in a wartime bus accident in which she was also badly injured, the 16-year-old was sent to Hereford where her brother was with the RAF. He found her digs at 11 Hopton Road and the Labour Exchange found her shop work. “But the shop only paid £1/7s a week and the digs cost 6d more.” Betty went back to the Exchange who found her war-work at Barronia Metals. “They paid £3 a week!”

The mother of six girls, Betty was a firm believer in women’s rights: “In the old days you were dependent on a man. For everything. And that was awful.”

Betty had a worked on the fruit and veg stall in the Butter Market for over 20 years. She was presented with the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Jubilee Awards which acknowledged her many years as a volunteer with the British Heart Foundation. Betty was a testament, at her great age, to fortitude, survival, and lack of self-pity. She will be greatly missed.

**The latest issue of our quarterly magazine ‘In Our Age’ is hot off the press.**

We have sent a copy to all current subscribers and have a limited number that will be distributed around Herefordshire.

If you want to secure a copy, please subscribe now and ask for Issue 65 to be included.

The digital version will be available in about 12 months time to non subscribers.

In Issue 65 Autumn 2022

Our cover photo is of Esme Fosbery with friends posing in Union Street in Hereford, with another photo inside of her when she worked at British Wheel Studs in Rockfield Road in the 1960s.

There are the memories of David Price from Brilley of being taught at the Hereford Technical College by Mr Thomas Hodgkinson in the 1950s.

Keith James remembers savings with the Post Office Savings bank.

There’s a story about Geoff Godsell who after escaping the clutches of the U Boats during his days in the Merchant Navy used to work in the hop fields of Herefordshire.

There’s also an interview with Ray Morris, Shropshire’s last remaining hop grower.

We caught up with Michael Jones at 70 who went missing from a farm in Peterchurch when he was 3 years old in 1951.

‘Jalopy’ isn’t a word that is heard much these days! However, our final story is of the formation Pontrilas and District Jalopy Club in 1959.

Lastly, we would like to congratulate Herefordshire Lore committee member Betty Webb who had been awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Jubilee Awards for her work volunteering with the British Heart Foundation. Within IOA 65 there’s a potted history of her amazing life from growing up in Islington to moving to Hereford during WW2.