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Great Billing memories

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Memories of Northamptonshire

School Holidays at Abington Park

I was born in 1951 in Lutterworth Road, Northampton just a 5 minutes' walk from one of the most beautiful parks in the country - Abington Park. Originally part of the Wantage family estate, it boasted a museum (formerly the Manor House), a church, three lakes, aviaries, and a bandstand. It was a truly magical place for a young boy in the 1950s. During the annual summer school holidays, I would be found with the rest of my Barry Road Primary School gang in the park (apart from the Aanual family holiday to Margate). An average day spent in the park would be something as follows: After breakfast I'd head for Sid Child's, the newsagents, on the corner of Lutterworth Road to buy my 'ammunition' (3 rolls of 1p caps) for my six-shooters and 'rations' (sweets - 1 lucky bag, 4 fruit salads, 4 black jacks). With my supplies I'd head to the 'Monkey House' in the park to meet the rest of the gang, I never quite found out what... Read more

My Mother's Cousin

When I was a child my friend and I used to go and stay with a cousin of my mother's and I'm quite sure this was at Little Billing. The name of the people was Gray and the lady's name was Gladys, (called Glad) and I have a photograph of her wedding. The man's may have been Bill, but I'm not sure.They lived on a farm that was near the Sewage Works and just down the road from a canal. I remember that there were Italian Prisoners of War working at another farm down the road. My surname at that time was Bellamy. If anyone out there remembers the Grays, my mother's name was May Capps from Burton Latimer.

Maypole Dancing

I'm Ecton born and bred however now live 500 miles away, on the west coast of Scotland.

A book was written by and about the village a few years ago and I was very surprised when browsing through my copy to find myself in a photograph of the school kids dancing round the Maypole.

Caravan Rally

The Solarium Hotel c1955
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My parents kept our caravan at Overstone - on the far side near the lake. One year, 1953 I think, the National Caravan Rally came to Overstone and the field filled up with hundreds of caravans. I think this photo is the milk queue!

Photo Memories

The Solarium Hotel c1955
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I have sepia photos of Overstone - somewhere, I wonder if it is possible that they are Francis Frith images? I have a b&w photo of my mum, my brother and myself sitting in front of a bank of daffodills, I think it was taken on a visit to Overstone. Mum always told me that someone well known had taken the phot.

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