Joan In Her Own Words
Stories collected 2014-2019
We used a service called StoryWorth to send Joan a question about her life every month since 2014. Joan wrote 80 stories and we would like to share a few with you here.
What was your wedding like?
My main recollection is of a very happy family occasion — probably aided by the fact that at 33 I had found the right man at last. As the daughter of a much-loved vicar, it was also a church occasion with the organist, choir, flower arrangers and parishioners taking part. The large shop opposite the church put on a wedding display in their window and the informal reception was in the [Royal Tunbridge Wells] Pantiles Pump Room — and organised by the local excellent coffee shop. Much of this was a gift to us — very different from the enormous expense of weddings today.
Have you been on any adventures?
I have been fortunate in exploring some fascinating parts of the world but always in comparative safety.
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Top of the list is probably the chance to stay in a Dayak longhouse in the jungle of Borneo. This involved a long trip upriver in a Chinese steamer — then up a small crocodile-infested large stream in a small boat with an outboard motor. We brought Red Cross supplies with us — much needed after a fire — and were given the warmest of welcomes with a feast, music and dancing. When our time came to dance all I could think of was an Eightsome Reel. All this with mummified heads over us as this was a headhunters longhouse.
What is one of your favourite trips?
If I am thinking about the British Isles only, I would put the Western Isles of Scotland at the top of the list. I remember with pleasure cycling across Eigg, visiting Iona, driving and sailing from Lewis to Barra. My one disappointment is that I never got to St Kilda.
Have you ever won anything?
Apart from a small cup I was proud to win for netball at about the age of 12, I can’t think of anything practical that I have won.
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I have occasionally won flowers or chocolates at tennis, usually in doubles, with my father — an excellent player — as partner.
What were your favourite sweets as a child?
My father was the Vicar of St Stephen’s, Selly Hill — next to Bournville, Birmingham — home of Cadbury’s. The churchwardens who worked there gave the Vicar’s children a complete box of all Cadbury’s chocolates each Christmas so Cadbury’s became my favourites.
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This was succeeded by Mars Bars and Milky Way. When we moved when I was 10 to Erith, near Dartford, I went to prep. school in Blackheath. I was allowed to travel home by bus which meant changing to the Erith bus outside a sweet shop in Bexleyheath. My favourite and hurried buy there was a Mars Bar (then 2 pence in old money) but my pocket money didn’t cover the whole week’s buy so I swapped to Milky Way (1 pence) when I ran out of 2ps.
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Mars Bar continues to be my favourite.