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  Report No 2 - July 2006  

 

Ninety Years Young
Edith Georgina Grace Dewinter Diggins
(but known in her early years as
'Jo' and in her later years as 'Joanne')

Born 30 July 2021
 
HOL thanks the family of 'Jo' for contributing to this story.
This is the second one in our latest feature
celebrating special twilight birthdays - ages 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 or higher.

Back to Twilight Club Index Page

UP-DATE 30 July 2007
Wishing you Joanne, a very happy 91st birthday, from all your family.
God bless you and we all hope you enjoy many more good years.


Joanne at 90 (Sunday 30th July 2006)

On 30th July 1916 a big baby girl 

(weighing 15lb 3 ozs) was born and 

she was named

Edith Georgina Grace Dewinter Beecham,

but from a very early age she was always

 known as Jo and later Joanne.

She just had one sister, Iris.

Scroll down for Jo's life story.



Wedding Day 1936
 

Joanne and Tom with their only child Malcolm 1941
 

Sister Iris

Joanne in the 1950's
 

Joanne and Tom at the wedding of their son
Malcolm. Also in the photo Malcolm's wife
Pat and their children Ricky, Lee and Jason.
28th May 1988
 


Tom in July 1998


Joanne in August 1997


Edith Georgina Grace Dewinter Diggins (known as Jo and Joanne)

 

She was born on 30 July 2021 at Leverington (nr Wisbech), one of two children born to Miriam Emily Beecham.

 

Her early years, after leaving school, were spent working in her mother's drapery shop in Wisbech.

 

Jo had a sister called Iris who died at the early age of 52.

 

Jo moved to Heacham in 1935 when her mother purchased  a holiday camp which was to become' Beecham's Holiday Camp'
Jo married Cyril Thomas Diggins on Boxing Day 26th December 1936 and they will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary on Boxing Day 2006. They lived on the holiday camp until 1940 when they moved to Poplar Avenue in Heacham. They lived there until 1967, during this time husband Tom was a porter on Heacham Railway Station and Jo set up a Guest House doing Bed & Breakfast.

In 1967 Jo was offered the job of being gate keeper for British Rail at their Gas House Crossing in Hunstanton. Jo took the job which lasted for just 2 years before the line closed in 1969. Both Jo and Tom stayed on in the house until Jo's mother died in 1978, when they moved back to Heacham  into her mother's house at 6 School Road.

As she was now in retirement she took up playing bowls and bridge and won many trophies including the mixed pairs at the Hunstanton Open Bowls Tournament with the late George Palmer. When bowls became too much for her she continued playing bridge and she was even more successful at this than at bowls finishing up as a Grand Master. Jo and Tom also managed to fit in playing bingo at the Gala club in King's Lynn up to five nights a week.

Both Jo and Tom stayed at 6 School Road until November 2005 when they moved into a new house again in School Road Heacham with their son and daughter-in-law. They now spend their time, sleeping, eating and watching television.

 

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