| BIRTH: | 3 November 1919 - Grangetown, Sunderland |
| MARRIAGE: | 31 August 1940 - Balham, South London |
| DEATH: | No |
| KNOWN ADDRESSES: |
22 Leechmere Road, Grangetown, Sunderland - 1920 An unknown address in Kilburn, London - c.1931 An unknown address in Balham, London - c.1939 33 Bevan Avenue, Ryhope, Sunderland - c.1947 Western Hill, Ryhope, Sunderland - c.1957 |
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Linda Robinson was born in Grangetown, Sunderland on 3 November 1919, the eldest daughter of Stephen and Lydia Robinson. Stephen and Lydia had only married eleven months earlier and were living with Lydia's parents at 22 Leechmere Road. A few years later she was followed by her sister, Norah. The depression in the 1930's hit the family hard and her father, Stephen, was eventually forced to find work in London when the Sunderland shipyards started closing. At first he lodged in London and sent money to his wife and family. Eventually when Linda was approximately eleven the whole family relocated to Kilburn, London. This was in approximately 1930. Soon afterwards, Stephen and Lydia moved their family to Balham, South London because Lydia managed to get a job as a caretaker in a High School for Girls. The position included accomodation so the family moved south. During this time Linda was privileged to meet Amy Johnson who visited the school to give an inspirational talk to the students. Amy Johnson was a pioneer airwoman who set solo flying records from the UK to, among other places, Australia, India, Unites States and South Africa. Towards the end of the 1930's Linda's uncle (Harry Tough (b.1909) came to London to stay with the family. Harry worked on the bacon counter at the co-op and brought his friend and colleague from work, Frederick Johnson (b.1914). Frederick and Linda started courting and on 31st August 1940 married in Balham, South London. Linda remembers wearing a light blue dress and there were seven air raids during the day and another six at night. There was a hole in the side of the church where a bomb had struck earlier in the year! The wedding day was extremely hot and as there were no refrigerators many of the cream cakes turned sour. During the war Frederick served in the Royal Air Force and was posted in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. Linda worked at an insurance agency in Piccadilly then the George Dance Musical Place, which was a theatre. The George Dance Musical Theatre closed during the blitz so in 1942 Linda moved back to Sunderland. She stayed in Grangetown with two of her aunts on her mother's side (Florence and Beatrice). Linda worked in the Advanced Ordnance Depot for two years, continuing to write to Frederick until the war ended in 1945. Frederick then returned from Africa and they moved into a house in Bevan Avenue, Ryhope. In approximately 1957 they moved to their current house on Western Hill, Ryhope. Frederick and Linda had two children; Jennifer (b.1946) and Michael (b.1952). Linda still lives with Frederick in Ryhope, Sunderland and is an 84-year-old grandmother of four. |
 Linda (left) with sister, Nora, and parents. |
 Linda, aged approximately twenty-five |
 Frederick and Linda at their wedding in Balham, London |
 Frederick and Linda at their wedding in Balham, London, with wedding party (Fred Lish, Nora Robinson and a sailor called Joe. |
 Linda and her great-grandaughter, Emily, in 2005 |