Highland community remembers Betty Stewart who has died in London aged 96
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Tribute has been paid this week to Betty Stewart, late of Kincraig, who has died in London at the age of 96.
Since she and her late husband Hector acquired one of the first vacant plots in what was initially referred to as "Millionaires' Row" – now Dunachton Road – back in the very early 1970s, she had fallen in love with the community as they had built their home Culbruach.
“Betty was a great supporter of Kincraig Community Hall, from the concept of the hall building fund to her continued efforts at helping to raise funds for its upkeep once it was created,” said director Ramsay Steven.
“At the many fetes and fairs held over the years she could always be found at the raffle table, where her persuasive powers ensured that it became one of the best contributors to the hall funds.
“She will be greatly missed, as she has been since leaving the village a few years ago to live nearer her family in London.”
Betty had retired to Kincraig following a highly eventful professional life in England. She was involved in the running of the famous Abbey Road Studios in London in the 1950s and early 1960s – just as the Beatles were taking over the pop world through their smash hit recordings.
And as PA to their producer George Martin, she had her finger right on the pulse of the revolution.
“They were a scruffy lot,” she told sister paper the Strathy, “and full of themselves, but George took them in hand and guided them through those early recording sessions.
“He was wonderful to work with and even had me on some of this comedy recordings, doing sound effects for Peter Sellers and Bernard Cribbins. It was fun, waiting for my cue to push over a dress rack strung with pots and pans!”
Life changed for her after giving birth to a daughter and ultimately Betty ended up working as a tester of a huge range of consumer products for Which? magazine.
As a staff member at the Market Intelligence Unit Office, her duties included trying out cures for tinnitus and testing paints. At one point, she said, she crossed swords with Amstrad boss Alan Sugar, finding him “very aggressive”.
After many happy retirement years living in Kincraig, Betty returned to London for health reasons. She died on March 5 and is survived by daughter Moira and grandson Miles.
