Ipswich: Vera Jones’ 89 years of history living in the same house in Felix Road

Vera Jones lived at the same house in Ipswich for 89 years. Although she's moved house now to Capel St Mary.

Over 89 years through war and peace, birth and death, Felix Road in Ipswich was the centre of her universe.

Born at home to Ernest and Eva Munnings in August 1922, Mrs Jones, 92, grew up when milk was delivered by horse and cart, playing hop scotch in the street, dancing at the Regent and listening to her gramophone.

“I’ve got so many memories,” she said. “There were happy times and sad times – my whole life was there.”

War broke out while she sat at the kitchen table; her brothers Leonard and Ernie both died during the ensuing fighting and a German bomb destroyed the house.

Vera Jones lived at the same house in Ipswich for 89 years. Although she's moved house now to Capel St Mary.

Then the war ended, their home was rebuilt and the family returned – once again there were occasions for celebrating. Mrs Jones’ son Leonard was born in 1964, she was married, first to Douglas Stockdale and then to Donald Jones. But there were sad times too. “It’s more than a lifetime for some people,” she said. “I’ve been so happy apart from when I lost my mum and dad and I lost Douglas. But I picked myself up and dusted myself down and got on with life.”

Three years ago, Mrs Jones said farewell to Felix Road for the last time and marked a new start in Dove Close, Capel St Mary. “I was determined not to look back because if I had, I think if I had I would have been so upset – I only looked forward,” she said. “I had lost my friends and began to feel so lonely, there’s no worse feeling.

“Then then they started to build Dove Close, I was over the moon. I was the first one to put my name down, I’ve been so happy here. It’s taken 30 years off me.”