Betty Bendell was one of the top five British women's magazine columnists in the late 1960s and 1970s. She wrote continuously for a range of magazines, including Annabel, Woman, Homes and Gardens, The Lady and The Countryman, but she was most well-known for her long-running columns in Good Housekeeping and Family Circle. She was perceptive, direct and funny, one of the leading comic writers of her day. This collection of the best of Betty Bendell, from Good Housekeeping and other magazines, will delight and amuse. From 'My dollyrocking days are over' (1966) to her last column for GH in 1980, these 87 pieces have been chosen for their glorious humour, their social history and absolute embeddedness in British life in the late 1960s to 1980. Betty recorded her era from the perspective of a mother and a wife at home, in the school playground, at the parties, in the garden, on holiday, in the shops, and queuing at the supermarket, speculating wildly about the lives of her friends and neighbours.
By:
Betty Bendell
Imprint: Handheld Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781912766703
ISBN 10: 1912766701
Pages: 280
Publication Date: 02 May 2023
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Contents Acknowledgements Introduction, by Kate Macdonald 1 My Dollyrocking Days Are Over (October 1966) 2 A Really Super Supermarket (June 1967) 3 Who Wants A Perfect Wife Anyway? (August 1968) 4 Let’s All Be Individualists (October 1968) 5 Life In Daniel’s Den (November 1968) 6 At A Disadvantage (November 1968) 7 Party Time Is Here Again (December 1968) 8 There Is A Verb To Chine (January 1969) 9 The Girl With A Fox (March 1969) 10 The Fox Grows Up (April 1969) 11 The Problems Of Captivity (June 1969) 12 In Search Of Non-Conformity (October 1969) 13 Hairdressing Is A Gift (November 1969) 14 On The Scent (December 1969) 15 Pets (January 1970) 16 Living-Room Overhaul (February 1970) 17 Saturdays (March 1970) 18 Tights (June 1970) 19 Sports Day (July 1970) 20 Deeply Cleansed (August 1970) 21 Home Economics (January 1971) 22 A Walk In The Woods (March 1971) 23 Embarrassing Moments (June 1971) 24 Freedom At Last (October 1971) 25 Life At The Launderette (November 1971) 26 Party Games (January 1972) 27 Colour It Zing (April 1972) 28 A Pattern For Life (June 1972) 29 The Right Kind Of Face (July 1972) 30 Keeping Fit (September 1972) 31 Doing The Flowers (October 1972) 32 Telephones (November 1972) 33 A Hint To One’s Beloved (February 1973) 34 Gathering Momentum (May 1973) 35 On With The Dance (August 1973) 36 Anyone For Etymology? (September 1973) 37 Mod Con vs Old Con (October 1973) 38 Are You Having An Affair With Your Husband? (December 1973) 39 The Imperfect Hostess (December 1973) 40 Accident Prone (February 1974) 41 The Jumble Sale Cycle (May 1974) 42 Lady of Leisure (May 1974) 43 Simmer Down Blood (June 1974) 44 What’s In A Name (August 1974) 45 A Real Marriage (August 1974) 46 Weekend Diggers (Autumn 1974) 47 Dressmaking (October 1974) 48 The Thirty-Nine-ish Years (November 1974) 49 Popping Into Hospital (November 1974) 50 After The Party (January 1975) 51 Anyone For A Reunion? (February 1975) 52 Makes A Change (February 1975) 53 Ouch!! (March 1975) 54 Whatever Made You Choose Him? (May 1975) 55 Clearing The Air (May 1975) 56 Oh For A Silent Night (July 1975) 57 Magic Motoring Moments (July 1975) 58 After A Fashion (August 1975) 59 Sorting Out The Rubbish (September 1975) 60 Pot Luck (December 1975) 61 A Question Of Confidence (February 1976) 62 Where Are You Now, Arthur Blenkinsop? (March 1976) 63 Sportin’ Life (May 1976) 64 You’re Just The Person … No I’m Not (July 1976) 65 Keyed Up (August 1976) 66 Oddawa (September 1976) 67 A Time For Traditions And Grandmothers (December 1976) 68 Peace And Goodwill (December 1976) 69 Nothing But The Truth (April 1977) 70 Happy Families (June 1977) 71 Moving In And Making Friends (August 1977) 72 The Home Rinse (January 1978) 73 A Smile, A Purr and A Sigh (April 1978) 74 Bounding Through Life (May 1978) 75 A Cure For The Blues (June 1978) 76 Finding A Job (July 1978) 77 Not Smoking (August 1978) 78 Dressing For The Occasion (December 1978) 79 The Husbands We Deserve (February 1979) 80 Looking Back (March 1979) 81 Red In The Face (July 1979) 82 I Would Take A Lover But … (September 1979) 83 Banks (October 1979) 84 M Is For Mystery (November 1979) 85 It’ll Do For The Cottage (March 1980) 86 If Only … (April 1980) 87 With My Clipboard Underneath My Arm (May 1980) Notes on the text
Betty Bendell (1929-2021) was born in Wimbledon, south London, and served in the Women's Royal Naval Service before marrying a Royal Navy photographer in 1957. They had a son and a daughter and lived in Goring and Henley before emigrating to Canada in 1975. She wrote for a range of Canadian magazines before retiring in 2012, aged 83.
