Alice Elizabeth (Betty) Wainwright (nee Porter)
21st January 1911 – 8th February 2005
My mother-in-law had her own personal geography consisting
of Trentham, where she lived from around 1930, Hanley, where she was born and
everywhere else. All parts of ‘everywhere else’ were seen as equally remote and
nowhere could be as good as Trentham, not even Hanley. Even within Trentham,
some parts were more significant than others: the Dairyfields,
to which she moved from Brook Road
in the 1950s, and this building. Here was where she got married in 1938,
Elisabeth was baptised and she and her husband Norman
were confirmed. It was where Elisabeth and I got married, her mother’s funeral
service was held and Christopher, her grandson, was baptised, sang in the choir and
confirmed. Finally, on the last occasions she was able to be here, where her
beloved Norman’s
life was celebrated and his ashes laid to rest. For several decades she and my
father-in-law together with his brother Bill and wife Marjorie were regulars at
Evensong, sitting with others of those she described as ‘the old gang’.
Trentham was where Alice
became Betty and fulfilled her ambition to become secretary to the Managing
Director (Geoff Corns, of Richards Tiles, who was also a Warden of this
Church). She was the noted beauty who won the heart of the popular local
sporting hero. However, in those days, being one of the world’s best freestyle
swimmers meant that Norman
spent much time away at championships and, in between times, their courtship
had to be fitted around their jobs and his training. Nonetheless, as she once
told her mother (who was the first qualified midwife in Hanley) her aim was to
be ‘the next best thing’.
Much to her great regret but like many of her generation,
Betty was parted from Norman
for duration of the Second World War. He was posted with the RAF to Southern
Iraq and Betty had to share her home with medical staff from the hospital in Trentham Park but was also happy to take in her recently
widowed friend Dorothy Slaney. She served as an ARP
Warden, based at the Police Station, which is now NatWest
Bank.
In the 1950s, when Norman’s swimming career was drawing to a
close, and her Dairyfields years were about to start,
Betty began a new career at ‘Juvenile’, the children’s wear shop in Hanley, as
a result of her friendship with Josie Hine. They met
at the school gate because of the friendship of their daughters’, Angela and
Elisabeth and the bond between the two families has continued ever since. It
was with Josie that she had what she considered her greatest adventure: a trip
to Paris,
during which she got lost on the Metro.
By the end of her life, Betty had lived on the Dairyfields for over fifty years in three different houses.
For the first half of that period she commuted up to Hanley to the Juvenile.
This was also the time when Norman
and Betty’s social activities probably reached their peak, featuring events
such as the Parish Dinner Dance, the Pharmacists Ball, plus Amateur Swimming Association
functions and regular visits to the Potters’ Club. They moved to 3 Fieldway, their last house, as they prepared for retirement
and thereafter Betty seemed most happy when she was at home looking after
Christopher and sending Norman
on errands. The two cats, first Pru then Pudsey usually provided the excuse for her not being able
to go out for any length of time. However, she was prepared to make the effort
to visit old friends, especially those who were no longer able to live in their
own home. That is how she first came to know Heyfields
Nursing Home. Many years before she needed their care herself, she much
appreciated the thoughtfulness that the staff showed to Dorothy Slaney, Harry and Olive Koskie
and Josie Hine.
My mother-in-law always valued friends and neighbours and wanted to help others. She
established solid and constant relationships and there were many people throughout
her long life who have had cause to thank her for her kindness. That is a good
epitaph and an excellent reason to give thanks for Betty’s life.
Paul Newman
Tribute –
16th February 05
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