Joville Menagerie.

Sidney Austin Ince.

My Mum, in a letter to her future mother-in-law, describes where she lived, Joville, as being a “wee farm”!

These photos are as much about Grandad as they are about all the animals. I wish I could have known him for longer than just a few days and when I was older. I don't know when he was born, but Grandad, Sidney Austin Ince, died on the 3rd February 1967. Mum travelled back to India in January that same year with Anne & myself, we stayed there for three to four months and I had my fifth birthday there. Anne tells me that Grandad died within about a week of us arriving. I guess the reason Mum went back over was because her Dad was ill and it must have been a difficult time for her, but also she must have been thankful for not getting there after he had passed away. Dad stayed in England with Rob & Keith. My brothers had also travelled to India with Mum, I think in 1953?

Most of my memories of India are very fragile. I can sometimes mistake stories I have been told about India and my time there as being my own memories. I was so young. Sounds, smells and even tastes can take me back there, but where exactly?

I have just two memories of my Grandad, seeing him lying in bed and his funeral. If I had known him when these photos were taken, then I would have helped him feed his chickens, play games with the dogs and talk to the birds & the cows!

"Bobby & Sally on the chair. Romeo in the background.
Poor little Bob, this was the last we had of him"

"Billy begging" 7th February 1956

Tilly? (Mum's younger sister)

"Romeo waiting for the ball"

"Nero, again isn't he sweet!!"

Could this be a young Mum?

Grandad with Keith and Rob, 1953?

Grandad talking to his birds!

"Daddy with Jock hanging on to his hand.
The boys are Johnston and his brother - the Walkers" 1958.
Anyone know who they are? Could Jock have been Mum's monkey?

"Yippee begging for cholum from Dad" August 1955
Yippee is a deer and cholum is millet.

Grandad with?

"I'm feeding the fowls at Joville" 1959

The majority of these old photos that I have inherited don’t have anything written their backs. But this collection of animal photos have detailed inscriptions, with some of them in Grandad’s handwriting.