Joyce was born in Oxford and lived in Magpie Lane all her early life. When Joyce was a girl, she always wanted to be a dressmaker but her father had different ideas and said Joyce needed a proper job to fall back on and she trained as a nursery nurse at the Churchill Maternity hospital.
Joyce would go Scottish Dancing and she danced with the same partner each time. After one evening her partner’s brother who was on leave from the Navy came and picked him up and he was Martin. Before the evening was ended, they were having a drink in the Randolph Hotel and the rest, as they say is history.
Knowing she was soon to be a married lady she decided she would make her own choices and got an apprenticeship in dressmaking at Lavelette Ltd., George Street, Oxford.
Joyce and her new husband Martin came to Warborough in 1962 shortly after they had married. On arrival in Warborough she recognised the Greet Hall and recalled that the man from the shop in Warborough (probably Mr Fletcher) had collected children and brought them to Warborough to the film shows held there.
Martin & Joyce’s home, where she still lives, had been stables which had been converted during the war to house some of the London evacuees and their mothers.
Joyce continued to work for the dressmakers in Oxford until her first child James came along. Martin then converted a former chicken shed into a workshop for Joyce and she was able to have a business from home and still be able to look after James and later their daughter, Ruth.
A talented seamstress she could turn her hand to anything that involved a sewing machine including curtains, dress alterations and wedding dresses. She has made the wedding dresses for countless Warborough brides and her attention to detail was renowned.
Detail on the back of a wedding dress made by Joyce
American servicemen based at Berinsfield were among her customers and later their wives who developed a passion for tartan. They always wanted tartan suits and lining up all the checks was a nightmare.
Some might say that Joyce’s father was not wrong because Joyce fell back on her nursing experiences when she started the first Pre-School in Warborough, initially in her front room before moving on to the Pavilion and when she outgrew that she moved into the Greet Hall. Penny Russell Smith who attended Joyce’s pre-school went on to be deputy press officer to Queen Elizabeth II.
She was helped with running the Pre-School by Ivy Jones & Barbara Hicks.
When Joyce’s children started school Joyce began work at the school working as a dinner Lady and playground assistant. She continued to do this for 30 years.
Joyce has been an active member of the village community and has served as a School Governor, the President of the W.I and a Parish Councillor and ran the Brownies & Guides. Theo King was the Scoutmaster around the same time and she would help by teaching the boys basket work.
It seems that if anything can be crafted then Joyce is right on hand, having made lace, knitted countless soft toys (which she is still doing) and even tried her hand at ceramics in Liz Eaton’s classes. The very fine butter dish still has pride of place.
As WI President she had the members in her workshop learning how to cut out and make a skirt.
When asked what Joyce had enjoyed most about village life she very quickly replied ‘being involved with the children’.
And as for what she missed – ‘Oh the Barnstormers’ I loved getting involved with making costumes for both them and more recently with concerts that the school children put on.
Joseph’s Coat of Many Colours for a school production.
We think it can safely be said that both Joyce and her dad knew what her strengths were and they seemed to have served her well all her life in one way or another.
Joyce talked to Liz Eaton & Lynda Raynor about her life in Oxford & Warborough. February 2025
