DOWN MEMORY LANE: It was grand-dad's birthday

The gathering took place in June 1949 in Denmans garden to honour my maternal grandfather’s 70th birthday.

My grandparents are seated together in the centre of the middle row.

They are James Hughbert Robinson (known as Hugh) and Joyce Hilda Robinson (nee Langmead). Their eldest daughter Janet is standing thrid from the left in the back row.

Apart from family members, most of those present worked for my grandfather in his horticulture business in Eastergate Nurseries.

This eventually became the Langmead-Robinson wholesale business when he retired. Now shortened to just Langmead, I belive.

The young woman in the flowered print dress on the extreme right of the back row is Doris Reid.

Two of her brothers (Bertie is the only name I recall) are crosslegged on the left of the front row.

The cedar of Labanon in the background is still standing, in the grounds of what is now Westergatre House care home in Denmans Lane.

After my grandmother retired from horticulture she spent the rest of her life creating the amazing gardens at Denmans, which on her death were bought by John Brooks and Michael Nene and are still open to the public today.

My mother still lives on Demmans Lane.

At 83 years old she still has good memories of those years.

Mother remembers Leslie Diggens.

The photograph also jogged the memory of Gillian Isted (nee Dakic), who writes:

I have an original print and it was to celebrate Mr JH Robinson’s 70th birthday. All their employees were captured in this photo, one being my mother who stands on the right side of the photograph and my nan (my mum’s mum) sitting on the left.

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