People of Conwy: Betty Pattinson
People of Conwy: Betty Pattinson
One of the last ‘Jackdaws’ (people born within the town walls of Conwy), Betty Pattinson was a well-loved former mayor and local historian. In this recording she talks about how she campaigned successfully for a tunnel to be built under the Conwy River - instead of a bridge by the castle - when the A55 Expressway was built.
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Below is a portrait of Betty with part of her large collection of books, taken by Graham Hembrough.
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Transcript:
I didn’t know anything about history really until about the 1950’s when the old dean at Bangor who was vicar at Conway, Gwynfryn Richards, said: “Betty, we’re going to form a historical society, and you will be the youth…”.
… That’s me, and they had a banker, a politician, an educationist and there was seven of us in the parish room of Conwy church…
… and then I heard eminent people from all over Wales speaking about Conwy, and it washed off on me. I lived in a town that was very special, and needed protecting…
…When [Batty laughs] they decided to put that terrible bridge by the castle, I had to fight it…
… The bridge that they were going to put alongside the castle had goalposts, which I call “goalposts” because it was horrible. It would have ruined the castle, it took half the Gyffin Valley away, and it went under the mountain…
… when I threw up my part time job as a researcher and went on expense to all the months of the enquiry for a Conwy Tunnel. And at the end of the enquiry when eminent people from all over Wales had spoken in defence of Conwy … we won, the little ones won…
… and the mayor stepped down and gave me the privilege on behalf of the citizens of Aberconwy to witness the signing of the contract for the Conwy Tunnel. And so the tunnel was built.
… It’s the finest walled town in Europe, one of the finest, and as such it forms a part of the rich tapestry of our European heritage…
… we must protect its future because Conwy isn’t like any other ‘resort’, people often say “Ohh, we’d love coming to Conwy, it’s so different! It’s got small shops …” and that I think the charm of Conwy lies in its difference, and it must be protected at all times …