For those of you who don't know me I'm Russell Betty's oldest son. On behalf of the family I would like to thank you for taking the time to come and celebrate Betty's ice with us.
It is no wonder that Dad fell for Mum on that fateful blind date. However it was a bit of a wonder that the marriage continued after a play fight with a saucepan ended with Dad letting go and Mum losing her two front teeth! Clearly Mum was a patient and forgiving woman, as well as a beautiful
vivacious and intelligent one. 
Things obviously improved that incident and I am sure that Mum would say that their 55 year marriage was a deeply happy and rewarding one. Such a marriage partnership is it a real treasure and makes for a very fulfilled and
content life.
Navy marriages bring many rewards such as living abroad, traveling the world and meeting great, lifelong friends some of whom are here today. I
know Mum had some great times with those friends and it is lovely to seeyou here, Alan and Brenda
The overseas tour we had as a family was in Singapore in the late 60s. It was here that Mum's frankly unbelievable bartering skills revealed themselves Dad explained to Mum that you never paid the asking price, as bartering is to be expected in Singapore's street markets. However, the traders of those cities were not prepared for Mum! She haggled so hard, they would run in
horror whenever they saw her, it is quite possible they remember her in fear even now!
Later in life, Mum used the same skills, to gather "bargins", mainly in the form of paintings and antiques, all bought at fantastic prices, with which she would create the beautiful and immaculate family homes we all remember
Mum had to be resourceful, of course, raising 3 boys alone when Dad was at sea, sometimes up to 6 months at a time. Remember that this was in the 70s. when communications were terrible and cars were even worsel Many is the time I remember push-starting our hateful Austin 1100 on cold school day mornings and Mum coped with it all, cheerfully and without complaint
Mum also loved animals and one of our pets was of course Tom, an African Grey parrot. Tom was not terribly happy initially. expressing his grumpiness by sinking his beak right through Dad's thumb and ripping out one of the bars of his cage!! But Mum still loved and cared for Tom as much as any other pet, until after a while Tom could be trusted to come out of his cage
and have his neck tickled, which he loved. Soon, Mum would engage in play fights with Tom and one of my favourite memories is of Mum holding a rolled-up newspaper, which Tom would attack. This would invoke Mum's distinctive' laugh, which of course Tom would copy. This in turn would make Mum laugh even more and Tom would do the same, so that very quickly the scene became one of flapping wings, flying pieces of newspaper and with two Mum's worth of howling laughter.
As well as raising me in a loving home. I have Mum to thank for my career too. As I approached the end of my A-level studies, the idea of going to
university really did not appeal. However, I really wasn't sure what to do, until Mum suggested flying; as in her words "all boys want to fly, don't they? The next day phoned up the Air Force and 33 years later, I still am flying
Thanks for that. Mum.
Mum enjoyed travelling with Dad and saw much of the world. Those countries I can remember her visiting were Portugal, USA, China, Australia,
New Zealand, Hong Kong, Thailand and of course Singapore. Mum also moved with Dad's work every few years, living in many characterful houses,making more and more friends with each move, So she saw much of theWorld
Of course some of her happiest times probably came with the arrival of the 7grandchildren. Mum adored them all and clearly adored being "Grandma. I am sure that Abby, Lucia, Sophie, Katy, Chloe, Rory and Angus have truly
the best memories of their time with Mum, as Mum made their visits a wonderland of enjoyment. No journey was too far, no event was to be
missed and no whim was ignored!
As parents, it was lovely to see our kids having such a fabulous timeAlthough Mum definitely pushed the boundaries of excess when, Just before bedtime, she would go "Anyone want a milkshake"which would be greeted with shrieks of delight from the youngsters, because Mum's milk
shakes were basically ice cream and melted chocolate. Needless to say bedtime was postponed while the kids bounced off the walls!
personally believe that Mum would not want us to dwell too much on mourning her passing, She would want us to reflect on and celebrate Mum's wonderful, happy and successful life. A happy 55-year marriage, 3 healthy sons, 7 healthy and
extremely happy grandchildren. Many good, life-long friends. Seeing the world and enjoying everyday. Scaring shopkeepers with haggling and
enjoying the love of so many people.
Well done, Mum; that was a life very well lived