Townsend (and Brown) Family

The Townsend Family lived at Red Roofs Farm between Ludham and Potter Heigham. Nita Townsend (nee Brown) went on to become one of Ludham's oldest residents.

Here are some notes about Nita and her family from family friend Adrian Whyntie:

"I knew Nita, Ken, her husband, and her sister, Rhona Brown.

The above photo is of Nita and Ken taken at their house. With them are my late parents, Howard and Pearl Whyntie and my little sister, Caroline.

Dad met Nita and Rhona when he lived with Dr Brown, their father after the war. He had had TB and needed good old Norfolk air to help recover. His Brother, Geoffrey, had been stationed in Ludham during the war, looking after German POWs. Geoffrey was quite a party sort of guy and enjoyed the social side of living in Ludham.

Ken and Nita had farmed in South America for years before returning home to farm. Ken was always complaining that fruit pickers did not know how to carefully pick the fruit so as to avoid damaging the fruit.

Rhona read Physics at Imperial but was not allowed to become a physicist, her being a female. She was very cross about that. She ended up being a secretary/PA to the top bosses at the BBC. Fascinating woman.

Ken bought the glass screens that covered gunners on RAF bombers. He used them as little glass houses when growing plants etc.

Ken had his own bar in the house, first time I saw that."

Above - Photo of Rhona Brown. Taken at Midhurst Sanatorium in 1948. She would have been visiting my parents who were both patients there recovering from TB.

More information

You can find lots more about Nita in various places on this website. Here are a few links:

Nita's Photographs

Nita's Negatives

Lost Townsend Photographs

Memories