Billingham Town Centre In The 1970s

A Memory of Billingham.

I often sit now in the town centre and ponder on the days gone by .. not that I'm that old but Billingham has sadly aged quicker than a tired old dog. The Forum Theatre, and the big name stars that visited it then, are now faded memories, just like the Forum's splendour. I can remember the fish pond and fountains that were adjacent to Woolworths, the monkey cages and glass reptile houses opposite Miles newsagent (does anyone have any photos?). I remember as a child along along with my brothers and sisters our mam every Saturday morning would take us to Finlays Cafe, we would have milk shake or tea with warm teacakes and melted butter. She would be stopped by almost everyone in the whole world and chat for what seemed like hours while me and my siblings would run around the bandstand or, if brave, up the stairs to the bowling alley above Asda. Although scarey it was always a place to run and hide before mam went shopping. Then it was the walk home through John Whitehead Park, mam ladened down with a week's shopping for a family of seven, all of us carrying bags that seemed plentiful and packed to the brim yet we still had energy to climb the wooden fort in the park play on the bridge over the sand pit and hide amongst the many trees and shrubs that adoned the vast playing field. Mam would sit on the grass, waiting, bathing in the sun. I remember the flower display of the Queen's crown majestically dispalyed with flowers of every colour (for her jubilee). It's sad looking back when the future looks so colourless and dull. I was not wearing rose tinted glasses, Billingham had its sad time and dull days but they were as scarce as the shops that now occupy the once thriving town centre. I often ponder and wonder will she ever re-kindle her once untouchable and envious beauty from the ashes of this crumbling grey ...