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Cornard People |
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Page updated - 02 December 2007 |
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Joy Weavers
Although one would think Joy was a local, she was born in Scotland, moved to Halstead when she was six and to Great Cornard when she married Robin in 1965. She worked at Pages in the precinct that later became House Proud Hardware. One of the good old fashioned shops, which are much missed these days, where you could buy two nails, not a huge packet of them or a casserole lid to replace your broken one.
Joy gave up work in 1973 when her son Rupert was born and has helped ever since in the local community, giving her time when Rupert was at school helping in classes at Nursery School and with Special Needs Classes at the Middle School, also serving on the Parent Teachers Associations or their equivalent at Wells Hall, the Middle and Upper Schools.
Joy has been a member of the Horticultural Club for well over 20 years and has been their Secretary for the past 20 years. She is involved in organising and taking part in the Village Shows and various excursions through the year. This means that Joy is a good cook, good at handicrafts and has a special interest in flower arranging. There is a strong family love of gardening, with Robin having had an allotment in the village for many years. Joy’s son Rupert took his love of gardening further going on to study at Otley College after he left school. He is now working as a gardener for Lord Blakenham. Joy says that the Blakenham estate is well worth a visit, especially in springtime, when the magnolias and rhododendrons are in full bloom.
Joy was also treasurer of the Lunch Club, which had to close at the end of last year after its seven year run, due to lack of helpers. A new Lunch Club is to start soon and Joy wonders where all the help and support is coming from as there was none about last autumn when many requests were made for volunteers in the local press, this magazine and on the village Notice Boards. All the equipment and monies left from the old Lunch Club had to be disposed of and now new equipment and financial backing has to be found.
The family are also great dog lovers, Dalmatians in particular and have kept these as pets all their married life. Dalmatians are often rescue dogs as people find them hard to manage and understand. The breed is unique as the dogs have a mind of their own and can be very naughty. Joy remembers when once she turned her back for a moment after opening the oven door; her Dalmatian had the turkey straight out of the oven!
I remember a few years back when another Mrs. Weavers was elected to serve on the Parish Council and Joy was stopped by residents at various times who either thanked her for what the Parish Council had done or chastised her for what they had not done. When Joy tried to explain she was not on the Parish Council, she was told ‘but I voted for you’!! This shows that Joy is a well-known and well-liked member of our community, justly so as she has given much back to the community during her years here.
Now enjoying semi-retirement, Joy and her husband Robin divide their time between Great Cornard and the coast where they have a caravan, walking their dogs and enjoying the fresh air.
Interview by Gill Applegate (Cornard News) – 15 Oct 2007
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