Joan Jackman, a well-known Brean resident and parish councillor, is set to launch a new book about her family’s history this month.
Joan discussed her plans during an interview with Burnham-On-Sea’s talking newspaper for the blind and partially-sighted, called Sounds and Voices.
The hardback book will focus on the life and times of three Quaker families in Victorian times, who are Joan’s relatives.
The publication has been illustrated with several watercolours depicting scenes from a Victorian household which Joan had valued on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow three years ago, as we featured here. Her new book will be formally launched on June 15th in Brean Village Hall.
During her interview, Joan also talked about her early years in teaching and as the owner, with her husband, of a swimming pool where she employed her pupils at weekends to collect cups and saucers for the pool’s cafe.
Joan later found the ‘fortune’ that she had accrued was not enough to keep her for the remainder of her life, so she returned to teaching PE and became a leading light in coaching and judging gymnastics locally and internationally. She was a judge at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand in 1990.
Tony Deahl, the week’s editor of Sounds and Voices, who interviewed Joan, said: “She is an amazing woman who, at the age of 87, has a very sharp memory and ready wit and it was an enormous pleasure for him to meet and interview her.”
Tony had the privilege of unpacking and opening the first copy of Joan’s book and was amazed at the quality of the full colour illustrations. Joan hopes that many people will come along to meet her at the launch.
The Sounds and Voices memory sticks are produced fortnightly and feature content from Burnham-On-Sea.com. They are distributed to blind and partially sighted people in the Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge and Cheddar areas. This is a free service and all the equipment is loaned free of charge to listeners.
Anyone who would like to receive the talking newspaper, or knows somebody who would benefit from being kept in touch with local news, should contact Joyce Dunbavan on 01278 783583.
