Ex-MP’s wife dies, aged 92

From the The Bolton News, first published Saturday 25th Aug 2007.

A CHAMPION of sport and former MP's wife, Kathleen Holt has died aged 92.

Mrs Holt, who lived at Harwood Lodge, Harwood, for many years, died at Southlands Residential Home, Withins Lane, Breightmet, on August 13.

A mother of two, Mrs Holt was married to Arthur Holt, who ran the Holts Hosiery at the Derby Street Mills until 1975 when it was sold to Damart.

The couple were married in 1938 and in the war Mr Holt was captured during the fall of Singapore and sent to work on the notorious Burma railway. For 18 months Mrs Holt did not know whether her husband was alive or dead.

She went on to fulfil the role of an MP's wife for 13 years from 1951 when her husband served as the last Liberal MP for Bolton West.

In her own right Mrs Holt was active in promoting participation in sport.

In the 1970s she was appointed to the government's working party on sport and outdoor recreation and was a member of the National Advisory Sports Council.

Her own sporting interests included sailing, golf and water-skiing and she had a love of lacrosse, a sport she first encountered as a pupil at Bolton School.

She went on to captain the Lancashire team and played for England. She was a life member of the All-England Ladies' Lacrosse Association.

Away from sport she was a governor of Bolton School, on the BBC North West advisory panel and the Lancashire and Cheshire Adoption Council.

In 1972 she was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours for her voluntary services, particularly in sport.

Mrs Holt, who had two children, Christopher and Diana, also had a love of cordon bleu cooking, flower arranging and cake decorating.

She and her husband retired to their holiday home near Lake Windermere, where Mrs Holt stayed after her husband's death in 1995 until 10 years ago when she was injured in a car accident and came back to live in Bolton.

Her son Chris said: "Mum was a remarkable woman, a true exemplar of the greatest generation."

She leaves her children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her funeral has been arranged for noon on September 10 at Overdale West Chapel.

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