Diddington has a rare mention in “The Telegraph”- a fine tribute to an elegant lady
* Update November 14th – The Daily Mail online carries a superb article about Joan written by Philip Norman – go to:
Todays Daily Telegraph carried a fine tribute to the late Joan Furbank who died aged 92 years on 30th October. Joan had lived at Diddington for many years until 1993 – and right up until her death was still sharing her great gift of flower arranging – as the article says, she had given St Laurence Church one of her finest pedestal arrangements this Harvest time. Joan was a lovely elegant lady who will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. The article also mentions her work during the war with the American Servicemen at Diddington Hospital ( mentioned on paxtonvic August 6th)
The Telegraph tribute:
A leading light in the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS), she gave demonstrations up and down the country, winning numerous awards for her signature “pedestal” displays. A woman of boundless energy and generosity, and always immaculately chic, Joan Furbank delighted in creating floral decorations for friends’ weddings and church Harvest Festivals, clambering up ladders in her high heels to add the finishing touches.
Born Joan Ellen Ellerbeck on September 2 1917 at Hurst Green, Sussex, she was the daughter of a farmer who later prospered as a market gardener at Sandy, in Bedfordshire; he also had interests in haulage and property.
Joan attended Bedford Modern School for Girls. After a course at Sandons School of Hairdressing in Bedford, she started her own salon, called McGregor’s. During the Second World War she carried out voluntary work at a 500-bed hospital for wounded American servicemen at the village of Diddington, in Cambridgeshire; many of the patients had damaged hands and fingers, and Joan often wrote their letters home.
In 1946 she married a farmer, Ken Furbank, and they moved to Manor Farm, Diddington, where she was to live for the next 47 years. Despite the pressures of being a farmer’s wife, Joan Furbank was a tireless worker for good causes. She also had an inexhaustible enthusiasm for racing (she had an account with a bookmaker, but bet modestly), bridge, poker and, above all, entertaining. She was an excellent cook and a generous hostess, and her parties at Diddington were famous.
Her passion for flower-arranging developed in the 1950s, and she became an active member of NAFAS, which was founded in 1959 and now has more than 100,000 members. Joan Furbank, who was entirely self-taught, always insisted that it was unnecessary to spend large amounts of money to produce a stunning display; she emphasised the importance of foliage, to which she would add the appropriate flowers and colours.
In 1967 she won, with one of her famous pedestal arrangements, the award for best exhibit at the annual Royal Show at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, and was invited to display in the Royal Pavilion.
Her husband died in 1979, but Joan Furbank remained in their large house at Diddington until 1993, when she moved to a flat in Huntingdon.
Despite suffering bouts of ill health, she remained as energetic as ever at the bridge table, in her entertaining and, of course, flower-arranging. Only a few weeks ago, one of her unmistakable creations adorned the Harvest Festival at St Lawrence’s Church, Diddington.
Joan Furbank, who died on October 30, is survived by her son.
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About Annette
Greetings to everyone who finds ” Paxtonvic” blog.
Paxtonvic is The Revd Canon Annette Reed, Vicar of Little and Great Paxton with Diddington and since February 2014 minister-in-charge of Southoe in Cambridgeshire near to St Neot’s. I have also been Rural Dean of St Neots since 2007.
( I’m the one on the right!)
Do come in and explore Paxtonvic.
You will find information about church and village life of Little Paxton, Great Paxton, Diddington and Southoe as well as St Neots and the surrounding villages.
I have another blog just about Great Paxton: http://www.greatpaxtononline.wordpress.com
If you feel moved to do so, please leave a comment. Its easy to do that – just click on ” comment” at the bottom of each entry and a little box comes up which you can type in.
If you would rather just read about St James Church at Little Paxton, please go to :
http://www.littlepaxtonchurch.org.uk
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St James Church at Little Paxton
A little bit about me.
I was born Annette Richings in Tuckton Nursing Home near to Bournemouth in July 1954. Building had connections in past years with Leo Tolstoy and his secret printing press and I am grateful to recent contributors who have sent me more information about this interesting piece of history.
Some of my earliest memories are of being on Boscombe sands, playing in the waves and pulling on the penny fruit machines with my Grandad Will Trimby helping me. We moved to Portsmouth when I was 9 years old and here is me at Portsmouth Grammar School c 12yrs old.
In 1966 we moved to Oxford and it was there that I fell in love with the Church of England as we lived in Christ Church College where my father was a lodge porter. I used to go to Oxford Cathedral most days for Evensong sung by the Cathedral Choir and developened a deep love for english choral music and the gentle spirituality of the regular offices.
I also used to sing as a teenager at St Mary Magdalene Church in Oxford City, a church with a distinct high church tradition which also infomed my explorations of the Christian faith.
If I had to define my ” churchmanship” ( always seemed a strange word to me) I would say I am a Liberal Anglican who appreciates both the best of Ango-catholic tradtions and the passion and conviction of Evangelicals. I trained for Church of England Ministry at The Queens College in Birmingham and was deaconed in Coventry Cathedral in 1987. Priesting followed in 2004.
I served as curate at Clifton-upon-Dunsmore near to Rugby and later at Walsgrave parish, both in Coventry Diocese. After three years in Hinckley, Leicestershire, I had eight wonderful years as Team Vicar in the Bosworth and Sheepy Benefice, looking after the Sheepy Group of five churches.
In 2006 I moved to The Paxtons and became Rural Dean of St Neots in 2007.
I was honoured to be made a Canon of Ely Cathedral in May 2014.
I love all the contact we have with young families and children and one of events I most enjoy is the Tots and Carer’s group at Little Paxton every Wednesday morning and being part of Great Paxton School as a governor and taking assemblies there.
I delight in welcoming people into our church commuities who ever and however they are. I am pleased when people enjoy coming to worship of any kind, but am equally at home out about and getting involved in village life. I am passionate about church buildings – both in respect of their architecture and also in regards as to how they may be adapted/re-ordered to serve their communities better. I like to think of myself as a bit of a local historian and run two history groups in the Paxtons.
I love plants and tending the vicarage garden. I have a rescue greyhound called Polly who lives with me and often look after my son’s lurcher dog called Charlie. I have two children, Mike who is a teacher locally and Adele a student in Coventry.
Polly my rescue Greyhound.
Please be assured I NEVER name drop in this blog or make out I’m anything special.. hate that sort of thing….
( I’m on the left!)
( April 2006 – somewhere posh in London)
See – I didnt always have grey hair!!
Below: I am not amused!
I have been known to dress up as Queen Victoria.
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Paxtonvic's Blog 
R.I.P Joan, I knew the Furbanks family from the late 40s, I spent my summer holidays in Diddington, staying with my Grandparents, and my Aunt and Uncle , There name was Bull, I knew their son Richard, we spent many an hour on the farm playing in the hay stacks, and in the fields, I last saw him in the 70s I often wondered what became of him, Another pal was David Underwood, wow, anyway Joan, Rest in peace x
Dear Richard
Many thanks for commenting on the Paxtonvic blog and for your memories of Diddington days.
I have had a look in the book of Diddington history that was written by Dave Dodman from the village a few years ago.
David John Underwood is buried in the churchyard 8.1.1975 aged 30 years
Richard G Furbank – his ashes are in the churchyard 1918-1996. Is that the Richard you played with?
There is a Joseph Bull mentioned, a woodman in 1931.
We are still collecting memories of old Diddington so if you would like to e-mail me any more, we would be very grateful.
Thanks again for the contact
All good wishes
Annette Reed
01480 211048
Vicar of The Paxtons with Diddington and Southoe