BETTY HOLMES M.B.E.
Betty was born at Aldershot on 13th October 1917, the daughter of William and Annie Inkpen. The family moved to Old Basing in 1919, where Betty’s mother came from, and lived in a cottage in Mill Lane (now Bartons Lane) with land enough for a smallholding. Betty loved her home and liked to do things as and when she wanted – she hated being tied to time. Her parents felt that the passing on of knowledge was very important, which meant that Betty had to go to school. She just wished she could stay home and do what she liked, but she soon became a pupil of the Old Basing School. Betty liked church and always went to Matins and Evensong at St Mary’s Church. A Girl Guide movement was started in Old Basing and Betty became a member of the first patrol which was called the Robin Patrol. Upon leaving Old Basing school she then went to Basingstoke High School where the headmistress was Miss Harriott Costello. She left Basingstoke High School for Girls in 1935 to take up a year’s residential course at Sparsholt. At the end of the year she went to work at Bradley Egg Farm and then went on to manage a poultry farm at Fair Oak. When war broke out she continued to work at Fair Oak and also became an Air Raid Warden. After her brother William was killed in the war Betty felt she had to do something and joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service. After training she was posted to Oswestry to train as a radar operator. And soon became a radar instructor with the rank of Sergeant.
After the war Betty came back to Old Basing becoming a teacher at her old school. She was also asked to run a youth club where she met the President Mr Beddington who was very interested in ‘youth’, and she became voluntary leader of Old Basing Youth Club. She also became voluntary leader of Chineham Youth Club. As if this was not enough Betty became Clerk of Old Basing Council.
In 1948 Betty applied to go on the Government’s Further Training and Education Scheme for ex-servicemen and women. She was accepted and won a place at Bristol University on a special course on youth leadership. She also decided to read Economics as well. Having done well at University Betty was employed by Hampshire County Council as youth leader at Basingstoke Youth Centre.
In 1951 Betty married Mr Beddington who encouraged her to take an active interest in Parochial affairs and in 1952 she was elected a Parish Councillor. When her husband gave up his position as District Councillor she put herself forward and was elected to represent Old Basing on the Basingstoke Rural District Council, and as Chairman of the Housing Committee Betty was at the helm of planning and building.
In 1954 Betty became manager of Old Basing Church of England School and when the present chairman died she took over. Betty was also interested in the British Legion and was chairman of the men’s section. In 1962 her husband died. Betty later met and married Commander C H Holmes, O.B.E.
In 1974 when local government was re-organised Betty was elected to Basingstoke District Council and became chairman of the District Council’s Housing Committee and in 1976/7 was Chairman of the Council, she was also chairman of the Queen’s Jubilee Committee.
With all her interests Betty did not forget Old Basing and the village continued to benefit from her kindness when she gave land known as ‘Priest Croft’ and ‘Olivers Battery’ to them. She was always ready to champion good causes, especially if it concerned her village.
One of Commander Holmes interests was the Samaritans and Betty became
Chairman of the Friends of the Samaritans. She lost her husband in 1981,
but continued to serve the Community in many ways.
In 1989 she was made a ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ and a few
months later received the Honorary Freedom of the Borough of Basingstoke and
Deane. In 2004 Betty became the first female freeman of Euskirchen in
Germany in recognition of her twinning work.