Joan Almond 1921

JOAN ALMOND born 10 January 1921 in Leicester

Joan Almond is my grandmother and was born on the 10th January 1921 at 55 Bosworth Street, Leicester. Joan is known to many of us grand children as just Nin or Ninnin.  She is the daughter of Henry Almond and Florrie Troth. Henry and the Almonds were from Leicester and Florrie Troth was born in Ibstock, the daughter of a coal miner. The Troth family were  originally nail makers from Bromsgrove, before moving to Ibstock to provide nails to the colliery.

Joan appears in the 1921 Census, just aged 5 months old.   The  census was taken on the 19th June 1921, the intended date for the 1921 census was the 24th April, but was postponed due to industrial unrest, the GRO decided  it would be impossible to collect accurate information in some areas.  It is the last surviving census that was taken before 1951 so provides important historical information, the 1931 census was largely destroyed in a fire and there was no census in 1941.  In the 1921 census Joan is living with her grandmother Sarah Ann Almond, father Henry & mother Florrie, as well as Sarah Ann's daughter Lizzie Almond. They are still living at 55 Bosworth Street.

Joan was later joined  in 1929 by a brother called Eddie. Eddie suffered from down syndrome, but was a no less loved  member of the family. You can see pictures of Joan and Eddie with their mother and father in the images link at the bottom of the page.

She went to various schools including King Richards Infants and then Landsdown Road & Elbow Lane. After leaving school Joan can remember in one of her first jobs she made Hosiery Needles at T.Grieve & co, this was based at Queen Street, Leicester. At the start of the war it was damaged when it was among the first buildings to be bombed in Leicester. The houses in Cavendish Road where she once had lived was also damaged in the war.

"In Leicester at 10.10am on the morning of August 21st a lone German raider dropped a "stick" of 8 H.E. bombs, which did considerable damage, in Cavendish Road, Killing 6 persons, seriously injuring seven and causing minor injuries to 17 others. There was an abundance of A.R.P services, so much so, that it was said the area became jammed with vehicles but the necessary work was speedily carried out and afterwards possibly because of this incident a new system of "incident control" was to be instituted throughout the country. " - Civil Defence in Leicestershire 1935-1945.

She had met & fell in love with Raymond Kirk, Joan lived at Raven Road at the time and Ray lived just around the corner in Bendbow Rise, Braunstone. They met at a local dance held at Braunstone. By 1941 he had joined the RAF and would correspond back to Joan as regularly as he could, usually signing off with 9 kisses (9 for Luck).

She married Ray Kirk on the 21st of March 1942 at Leicester Registry Office. She was 21 and living at 29 Raven Road, Braunstone, Leicester with her parents at the time. The certificate stating her job was a housekeeper. His address was given as 12 Bendbow Rise, Braunstone, Leicester and his RAF rank as AC 2 - Number 1093901.

While in the RAF Joan and Ray had two children. The first was named Roger and born in 1942 (my Father). The second child was a daughter called Margaret, born in 1944. You can see a photo of Joan with Roger and Margaret above.

When the war was finally over Ray left the RAF and they moved in together at 50 Keightley Road, New Parks Estate. New Parks was a brand new estate built at the end of the war to accommodate the expanding population of Leicester. They later made the unusual deal of swapping houses with the people at 69 Keightley Road which had an integrated shop. Ray sold tailoring and general goods and repaired shoes at the shop, they also took in clothes to wash, clients either chose to have the clothes washed and neatly ironed or just thrown in a bag unironed, this was referred to as bagwash.

Ray and Joan then had two boys named John and Armand, John was born in 1948 and Armand was born in 1955.  They were later joined by a sister called Melanie, born in 1961.  

With the profits from the shop they bought a chalet at the Golden Sands Holiday Park at Mablethorpe, number K9. They spent many happy if windy holidays on the east coast of England. with members of their family and  friends, particularly Jack, Helen and their daughter Jackie. 

The first job as i remember once we had arrived on the beach was always to get the wind break erected, then get the blankets and picnic basket out,  thermos flask full of tea and tucking into gritty sandwiches.  Along with the ever popular bingo held on site Nin probably owned the record for the most consecutive victories in the Glamorous Gran Competition !

After Ray retired they moved to 43 Newport Street, Leicester where they enjoyed a long and happy retirement, regularly visited by their children and grandchildren.

On the 10th January 2021 Joan celebrated her 100th Birthday, she received the traditional telegram from her Majesty the Queen (Elizabeth II).  Joan passed away peacefully in the early hours of the 6th  May 2021,  she was a resident at Aaron Court Care Home at that time.

To date she is the only person in my  entire family tree to have ever reached the land mark age of 100 years. We will all have particular  memories of Nin .. particularly the Boxing Day banter served with Jacket Potatoes & Mushy Peas, down the Club for Bingo, Beer & ‘Dandelion & Burdock’

The cats …

Telling Ray (Granddad) off  … (& me) for talking about the war again !

So many memories … In fact one hundred years of them … ! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOAN ALMOND born 10 January 1921 in Leicester

 Born.  10th January 1921 at  55 Bosworth Street, Leicester

Census 1921.  Grand-Daughter - Joan Almond. 5 Months old.

            Born Leicester.

            Address - 55 Bosworth Street, Leicester.

            District - Leicester.   Sub District - North Leicester.

            Living With Grandmother Sarah Ann Almond. 62 years, 1 month

            Widow. Retired from Jennings & Co, Boot & Shoe Manufr,'  Church Gate.

            Father Henry Almond .  29 years, 6 months. Born Leicester.

            Profession - Leather Bag Maker,  Messers'  Fielding Sarson & Co,

            Trunk & Bag Manufacturers - 3 Camden Street, Leicester.

            Mother Florrie Almond. 29 years, 10 months. Born Ibstock

            Profession - Home Duties.

            Aunt - Lizzie Almond. 41 years 8 months. Born Leicester

            Profession - Wool Spinner.  Whitmore & Co. Wool Spinners,

            West Bridge Mills.

Census 1939.  Daughter - Joan Almond. dob 10 Jan 1921

            Profession - Taf Shredder (Hosiery)

            Address - 29, Raven Road, Leicester.

            Civil Parish - Leicester

            Living With Father Henry Almond . dob 16 Dec 1891

            Profession - Vulcanizer Motor Works Heavy Worker

            Mother Florrie Almond, dob 1 Aug 1891

            Profession - Unpaid Domestic Duties

            Brother - Eddie Almond. dob 16 aug 1929

            Profession - At School

Marriage.  21 Mar 1942  Raymond Kirk Age 20.  A/C 2 1093901 Royal Air Force (prev-Plasterers Labourer).

            Residence - 12 Bentbow Rise, Leicester.

            Father - Frederick Alfred Kirk.  Engineer.  

            To Joan Almond Age 21.  Housekeeper.

            Father -  Henry Almond .  Tyre Vulcaniser  

            Residence - 29 Raven Road, Leicester        

            at Leicester Register Office

            Signed by Ray Kirk and Joan Almond

            Presence of - H Almond and W Merrill

Died.  Aaron Court Care Home, Leicester.  6th  May 2021

Known addresses :-

            55 Bosworth Street, Leicester.

            21 Highgate, Stonesby Avenue nr Saffron Lane Leicester.

            45a Cavendish Road, Leicester.

            11 Long Lane, Leicester.

            29 Raven Road, Braunstone, Leicester (-1942)

            50 Keightley Road, New Parks Estate, Leicester (1942-)

            69 Keightley Road, New Parks Estate, Leicester

            Newport Street, Leicester

Children of JOAN ALMOND and RAYMOND KIRK are:

    i.     ROGER KIRK

           b Nov 1942, Leicester

    ii.    MARGARET KIRK

           b Nov 1944, Leicester

    iii.   JOHN KIRK

           b Mar 1948, Leicester

    iv.   ARMAND KIRK

           b Feb 1955, Leicester

    v.    MELANIE KIRK

           b Jan 1961, Leicester

Go to associated images - Joan Almond (1921)

Go to Joan's Father - Henry Almond (1891) & Florrie Troth (1891)

Go to Joan's Husband - Raymond Kirk (1921)

Go to browse Almond family tree page

Go  to the Almond descendants home page