Elizabeth Neill Reid (née Gardner)

Betty Gardner was born in Duror, Argyllshire, the fifth child and only daughter of Mary Auld and James Gardner, a station master with the Caledonian Railway Company. The family moved to Kenmore in c. 1920 when James Gardner was appointed station master of the Loch Tay steamer and her youngest brother was born there in 1922. In 1923 the family moved to Renton where James Gardner was station master until his retirement in 1946. James Gardner took part in the General Strike in 1926 and remained an active union member thereafter. He was originally a member of the Independent Labour Party.

Betty Gardner attended Renton Public School and then Vale of Leven Academy, from 1930-1936. There she excelled in English and History, and also played hockey and athletics. On leaving school, Betty applied to go to Jordanhill College to train as a gym teacher but since she was not 18 until December she was too young and so instead she went to Glasgow University where she took an ordinary MA. She then went to Jordanhill training as a primary teacher but also qualifying to teach secondary pupils. She continued to play hockey with Vale of Leven Academy FPs and won the Women’s Hockey League several times. (In the 1930s and 1940s, League and Association teams were separate and only Association players were eligible to play in the national side).

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