Ancaster woman celebrated her 100th birthday with friends and family

An Ancaster woman enjoyed her 100th birthday celebrations surrounded by family and friends.

Joan Parker marked her centenary on Friday November 10 with a party at the community centre in Angel Court, and received a card from King Charles III.

Born in Wigston, Leicestershire, to Rose and Herbert Beecham, Joan shortly moved to Lincolnshire with her family, who lived in Gipple and Pyewipe, before settling at Hall Farm in West Willoughby.

The family lived until Herbert retired aged 84, with Joan going to school in Welby, before working on the farm with her father until she married George Grantham.

Together, Joan and George had two children, Sheila and Neil. Sheila’s son Mark is Joan’s only grandchild and was in attendance at her 100th celebrations.

Joan also worked in Woolworths in Grantham for a few years.

She later remarried with Reginald Parker, and became stepmother to Andrew, Sue and Lynn.

Sheila explained that her mother had “always enjoyed her holidays” every year.

In her younger years, it was always a trip to Ingoldmells in the family caravan.

During her adult life, Joan visited Jersey in the Channel Islands with George, Sheila and Neil on several occasions.

She also visited Torquay, Eastbourne, Scarborough, Germany, Malta, Tenerife and Majorca.

Over the years, Joan has enjoyed bingo, whist, crosswords, puzzles and, for many years, she loved knitting, until she got arthritis in her hands.

Joan eventually moved to Ancaster to be near her sister Doreen (Dorrie), who sadly died four years ago.

Both Sheila and Neil say that their mother remains independent, even at the age of 100.

Sheila said: “Mum has always been very active, and only up until Covid lockdown, she used to walk up to the Co-op store in Ancaster several times a week to do her shopping.

“But this is not possible any more, and since then the wonderful Amir from the Spar shop in Caythorpe delivers her shopping every week, he even takes it into her kitchen and unpacks it for her.

“He is so good to her, and she looks forward to seeing him!”

Another passion for Joan is the Grantham gingerbread biscuits, of which she has two packets each week, bought for her by Neil.

She also visits the cafe in Belton Garden Centre, with Sheila adding: “[Mum] loves going there and seeing all the customers coming and going, and the staff are always so lovely to her.”