Photo from family collection
Joan Greenacre
Joan was born in 1931 in a cottage in the middle of a marsh in Brumstead ; here she lived with her mum, dad, grandparents and sister but without water or electricity.
You can hear her talk of those early days, her toys and books, especially the Water Babies- and Sunday School - there was bicycling to school and swimming in the river too.
Going to the doctor was quite a treat for the child Joan, with a special bottle of delicious medicine to take home carefully on the bicycle.
Her first job on leaving school at 14 was as a cook, but she soon moved to the bakery in Stalham, lifting 10 stone bags of flour, making bread in great troughs and delivering it to the villages - including Hickling.
Joan was 17 at the end of the war; she recollects her mother trying to get her up at night when the bombers dropped their loads at the coast on their way home.
You can hear how Joan came to Hickling and brought her family up there with Jack, applying the principles learned in the cottage in Martham to great effect.
JOAN’S MEMORIES:
Introducing Joan Greenacre