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Happy 90th Birthday Bet In Abthorpe

Barbara Brush 90 this week, known as Bet
On 5th November 2009 Mrs Barbara Rush, or Bet as she is universally known throughout the village, was travelling to Towcester in a taxi when it was involved in an horrific accident at Abthorpe crossroads.

A local lady was killed and Bet was seriously injured. She spent 14 weeks recovering in hospital. She remarked recently that only the messages and goodwill of people in this village got her through. Some were from people she didn’t even know she knew.

This week Bet is delighted to be celebrating her 90th birthday and there will be lots of people offering her congratulations.

She was born in Northampton and lived there until 1937 where she attended the Notre Dame Convent School that used to stand in Abington Street. During World War Two she went to Leicester to train as a toolmaker to help the war effort. On the cessation of hostilities in 1945 she obtained work in Abthorpe’s shoe factory.

On her 21st birthday the 26th April 1943 she married Ron an Abthorpe man. It was Easter Monday Bet remembers. When the houses in Brackley Lane were completed in 1946 Bet and her husband moved in and she has lived there ever since.

In 1948 Chris her son was born and she obtained work in the canteen of the former Towcester Secondary Modern School. Chris became a cub scout in Towcester and Bet after a short while joined the committee and remained a member for 29 years – 19 of the years as Treasurer.

Bet loves people and is very interested in their lives. It’s what keeps her young she insists. She intends to go to the Quiz Night on Saturday evening where she will no doubt get a great reception. And perhaps if the weather’s not too bad she might ride down on her famous skateboard.

John Riches

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