My aunt, Betty Hale, who has died aged 96, had a wealthy and diversified life as a journalist and literary agent.
Engaged on the pop music journal Fabulous (which grew to become Fab 208) from 1964 onwards, she met and interviewed the celebs of the period together with the Beatles, Marianne Faithfull, Gene Pitney, the Osmonds and the Monkees. She was later appointed editor of Fab 208, and when the journal ceased publication within the early Eighties she grew to become managing editor of Lady till she retired in 1985 to begin up her personal literary company, Good Concepts.
Born in Wraysbury, Buckinghamshire, to Edith (nee Baker), a main college trainer, and James Hale, an insurance coverage clerk, Betty attended Windsor county ladies’ college till 1943 however, following the loss of life of her father, was compelled to search out work.
She began as an assistant in a publishing home earlier than going to Amalgamated Press (which later grew to become a part of the IPC group) the place she was swiftly promoted to editorial assistant with Lady and Dwelling and Dwelling Companion. As a small lady, I used to be fascinated by the layouts that she labored on within the evenings. She labored on Marilyn, a comic book strip journal with romantic tales, earlier than transferring to Fabulous (later Fab 208) in 1964, and in addition modifying Rave journal.
In 1953 she had married Eric Tommey, an insurance coverage assessor, however stored her marriage quiet from IPC, lest her profession ought to be curtailed.
Betty’s enthusiasm and drive didn’t diminish with age. A few years after Eric’s loss of life in 1989, she wound up her company and, shamed by her insecurity in French, she launched into a level course with Roehampton Faculty. She spent a yr in Paris, learning on the Institut Britannique and continued to stay partly in London and partly in Paris for a number of years. She was obsessed with artwork and opera and I loved accompanying her once I was invited to Paris. She cherished swimming and strolling and took half in strolling holidays in each France and the British Isles.
She earned a grasp’s diploma in cultural reminiscence in 2005 from the Institute of Germanic and Romance Research on the College of London, wrote papers for the Radlett Literary Society, mined her household historical past and launched campaigns in opposition to intrusive native planning purposes – her curiosity and wholehearted dedication to analysis solely started to decrease as she developed dementia in her 90s.
Though she had no youngsters of her personal, she took an lively curiosity in her household and associates. We really feel really lucky to have been a part of the lifetime of such an attention-grabbing and beneficiant lady.
She is survived by her sister, Guida (my mom), and by three nieces, Eleanor, Zoë and me, and three nephews, Simon, David and Nicholas.
