The obituary notice of Joan Mary BANKS (NÉE HITCHEN)

Joan Banks was an integral part of my childhood.
She was part of the cabal of Queens Road adults who maintained an immense personal and social pride whilst living in a town that was already starting to decay around them.

Memories that are decades old become splintered into a series of half remembered one liners, but some of my earliest memories involve Mrs Banks' pearls of wisdom.

She had a line from Shakespeare for any situation and was always there with advice, guidance, and even gentle admonishment, but never judgement.

At school, my maths was somewhat iffy, especially times tables, so every time I rang the bell of 35 Queens Road (twice - it was my trademark, which became a joke between us), she would fire a question at me - "seven fours? six threes?" until my answer became automatic.

She was a great fan of sport, especially football and cricket. She would often alter my batting stance when Peter, Ian and I were re-enacting a test match in the back yard of Keith and Joan's house.

My parents were very close to Keith and Joan. They had season tickets together at Blackburn Rovers and lived through the glory years of the early 90s without ever getting too carried away - such was their generation.

There was never any doubt in my mind that Joan would live to a grand old age - she just had an indestructable aura. I rang that doorbell (twice) on the morning of my 10th birthday - September 30th 1970 and I can quote Mrs Banks verbatim as she stood on the doorstep - "Double figures forever now, unless you live to be a hundred." I have a feeling Joan got closer to it than I will.

Joan quite rightly took great pride in the achievements of Peter and Ian, but was always genuinely interested in others.

We have lost a great lady.

Goodbye Mrs Banks.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow"

In memory of Joan Banks.

Loved Miss Hitchen, loved her more as Mrs Banks. Wonderful, strict but respected English teacher throughout my years at Rhyddings. I left in 1957, my late wife who was also taught by Mrs Banks a year later. Wonderful lady never to be forgotten.

I have fond memories of her as a Sunday School teacher at St Andrews, and a relief teacher there. When her parents lived on Queen’s Road she invited a few children from St Andrews to tea and to watch television. Few had a tv in 1952. I remember her father, who was a Church Warden at St Andrews. Having lived in London since 1974, I last met her in M & S on Broadway, a few years before it closed. And because of my connection with the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, I was able to tell her (long before it was announced) that the Maundy Service was to be held at Blackburn Cathedral. We did correspond from time to time.