From Irene Allaway – Basinga
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. Her parents felt that the passing on of knowledge was very important, which meant that Betty had to go to school and she became a pupil of the Old Basing School. 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. After the war Betty became a teacher at her old school in Basing
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.
Betty was so active in many things in Old Basing. She was asked to run
a youth club and became voluntary leader of Old Basing Youth Club and
Chineham Youth Club. As if this was not enough she became Clerk of Old
Basing Council, and in 1952 she was elected a Parish Councillor.
These were only some of the many things that Betty did, but with all her interests Betty did not forget Old Basing and the village continues to benefit from her kindness when she gave land known as ‘Priest Croft’ and ‘Olivers Battery’ to them.