Betty Aplin’s Memories of the Bishopsteignton Modern Wives

Betty was born in Bishopsteignton in 1935 and has lived in the village all her life. She grew up in Hollowmead cottages 1-2 (joined). These two cottages used to be the gardener’s cottages for the Bishopsteignton House Estate. In fact, Betty remembers her brothers working on the Estate as a gardener. Betty still lives on the land belonging to the cottages, but in a house, Holm View, built by her and her husband 60 years ago. They named the house Holm View after the Holm tree (an evergreen Oak) that used to grow opposite the cottages. She joined the Modern Wives right from the start, in January 1968, when she was 33 years old!

She remembers seeing a notice in the village about a new group starting for modern wives, and ‘being a modern wife…’, she thought it would be a good group to join.

Unlike the WI which was then aimed at older and retired women, the Modern Wives was aimed at younger women (20-40 year olds), especially those with young families. At the time, Betty was feeling isolated living at the edge of the village, and so she considered the group a great opportunity to meet other people, especially other mothers. When she joined Modern Wives her son Andrew was 3 years old. As Betty hoped, joining Modern Wives made a huge positive difference to her life. Betty made lots of friends through the group, some of whom she is still in contact with, 54 years later.

Betty also enjoyed the Modern Wives’ regular trips to the theatres in Torquay and Exeter, to see plays, summer shows and Pantomimes. What’s more, the group hosted Tupperware, No 7. Makeup, and Pippa Dee parties (parties where clothes were sold), which were often a lot of fun.

As well as the enjoying the social activities, Betty also got a lot out of the wide range of talks, demonstrations and workshops organised by the Modern Wives, for its members. She remembers talks they had on managing finances, making a will, and workshops on flower arranging, cake making, hairdressing and applying makeup. One of her most vivid memories was going to the Southwest Electricity Board (SWEB) offices in Torquay and Newton Abbot, where they used to put on regular cooking demonstrations.

Through the Modern Wives Betty was also able to make an important contribution to the village and other good causes. Betty recalls that as a result of a hearing a talk about playgroups, the Modern Wives decided to start a playgroup in Bishopsteignton, a much needed service in the village, and one that continues to this day in the form of the Bishopsteignton Preschool.

Moreover, Betty recollects that it was members of the Modern Wives who were responsible for restarting the Bishopsteignton Carnival, and that the group entered a float each year. She also remembers doing lots of fundraising with the Modern Wives, such as when they raised money for Bishopsteignton school’s swimming pool, which has since been filled in to make way for more classrooms. But in its hay day, it was where many of the members of the Modern Wives used to take turns to teach the village children how to swim.

‘If there was a local event, the Modern wives would be there, with some sort of stall, to help raise money’

Betty was sad when the Modern Wives finished in 1982, especially as she was unable to join the 6 or so former members who continued to meet up for a meal once a month, until 1995, after she retired as a Scout Cub Leader, because Scouts had clashed with this monthly get together. The group in fact continued to meet for a meal in local pubs such as the Sandygate Inn at Kingsteignton, and the Cockhaven Arms in Bishopsteignton, until the Covid lockdowns started in 2020. So Betty had continued to meet with these former members of the Modern Wives for 25 years. Unfortunately, since this small group stopped meeting in 2020 Betty has not been able to met up with any of them.

For Betty, the Modern Wives was undoubtedly a pivotal and enriching group in her life. It brought an end to the isolation she had felt as a young mother living on the edge of the village. The group placed her at the heart of village life, its people, and events; as well as other organisations like the Scouts, that have played a key part in her life. It is also clear from her account of her time with the Modern Wives and its members, that the group has left her with many cherished memories of a particularly active and fun time in her life.

Sadly, subsequent to the writing of this article, Betty has passed away.

Betty dedicated decades of her life to Bishopsteignton and the local area, not only as a member of the Modern Wives, but also as an Akela for the Cubs, and as a very committed member of Teignmouth Salvation Army.

Unfortunately, in December 2023 she was diagnosed with cancer, and though, in the words of her daughter in law Denise Aplin, ‘she fought till the end with her strong fighting spirit’, she sadly passed quietly overnight on 7^th January 2024. Betty’s impact on people’s lives was clearly seen by the constant stream of visitors she had in the last few weeks of her life.