Page 47 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

Betty’s, Best Magazine Award
Best Magazine celebrated its 16th annual Bravest Women awards at the luxury Taj Resort Hotel
(Quote from Best Magazine) ‘The awards are in recognition of the amazing courage and uncrushable spirit of Women who have faced challenges and adversities that would break most people’. This year for the first time an International Women of Bravery and the first ever presentation of the Hearst Empowering Women prize, which went to our very own 94 year old nursing veteran of World War 11. Mrs Edwina (Betty) Evans. Betty received this Award on behalf of all the Nurses and carers who were part of that terrible conflict.
Mrs Evans Daughter Liz has very kindly sent the following account so that we can share in Betty’s two amazing days.
Best magazine very kindly honoured my mother as one of several “brave women” for her part in WW2, nursing wounded soldiers. So they sent a car to her home and picked us up and took us to a very grand London hotel, the St James Court (almost next door to Buckingham Palace)!
When we got there we met by the editors, Tracey Baldwin, Lara Nugent and Deirdre O’Brien such very nice kind women. We were given the most sumptuous tea I’ve ever seen - the most beautiful cakes and sandwiches and scones. We had a lovely bedroom - rooms I should say, with a view out onto a sort of courtyard and wonderful old buildings - all part of our hotel. That evening we were taken (again by taxi) to the theatre and we saw Thriller; we’d never heard of it I’m afraid, but
it was about Michael Jackson, and the actor really did look just like him - the singing and dancing was amazing, and it was just as entertaining to watch the audience - hugely enthusiastic audience participation. When we finally got back to the hotel, we were given a buffet supper, every mouthful was delicious, and we managed to eat plenty although this was hours after our usual bedtime.
The next day after breakfast my sister arrived from Ilkley. Each “Brave Woman” was allowed one guest, but they kindly made an exception in my mother’s case, and allowed Rosie to come too, which was great. They took us to some TV studios, and we were part of the audience of “Loose Women”, with Gloria Hunniford and Ruth Langsford having interesting discussions about all sorts of things. We’d never watched Loose Women before, so it was quite an eye opener. And we were impressed with just how much preparation goes into these things. Then back for a delicious lunch, then we were made gorgeous by hair
and makeup people who came in specially to transform us for the gala dinner that evening. They even had a wardrobe for the brave women to select an outfit, which they were allowed to keep. Betty was given a sparkly black jacket, which made her look a million dollars, and a little black bag.
The gala dinner was in an enormous dining room of the hotel. It was packed with celebrities, most of whom I’m afraid we wouldn’t have recognised, but they were so glamorous you could tell they were of a different species from us ordinary mortals! Most of the evening was given over to presenting the brave women, and very moving it was too. They had all suffered some great adversity, but turned it round to be something of value. The most touching thing of the whole weekend for us was actually meeting these women and hearing their stories.
I won’t say here what their stories were - they can all be read about in Best magazine.
Liz Holten
THE GAZETTE QARANC 45
Heroes Award for Welsh branch member
Over the past two years I have been able to help “HELP 4 HEROES” Charity at Tedworth House. The experience has been truly amazing, seeing the bravery and recovery of the young men and women who have given so much to protect us. We owe them so much.
You can imagine my surprise when I received an invitation to a Heroes Award Ceremony at Tedworth House, and I was even more amazed to be nominated for a medal.
The presentation was on 24 October. It was very exciting and a great honour.
I am extremely proud to be involved with all these young people, and look forward to my next visit to Tedworth.
I shall always wear my medal with pride.
Cathy Symons