Little Billing memories
Here are memories of Little Billing and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Little Billing or a Little Billing photo.
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.
Memories of Northamptonshire
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.
Great Grandmother
My great grandmother was born in Great Houghton in 1868. She married Charles Neville and moved to Swanscombe in Kent. She had four children at the time of the 1901 census, the eldest of whom was nine.
All I know is that her name was Lizzie! I need to do some research to find her maiden name and to see if any relatives of "Lizzie" live in the area.
I now live 20 miles from Great Houghton, having been born in Dartford, Kent. She and I have crossed paths!
Childhood Memories
I have wonderful memories of many summer holidays and of Christmas time, when the whole family gathered to stay in a house called Cestria with my aunt, Nellie and Marcus Webb. I remember a gardener called George, a driver called Bill Capon and a lady called Miss Donnely who made the most delicious food. The was a very big garden, where we played on green with a summer house either end of the green where we would have afternoon tea. I think that there was a walled vegetable garden, a glass house, a dark shed where mushrooms grew. I remember collecting eggs and carrying the freshly picked fruit and veg from the garden. My Christmas time memories are of people singing carols and being invited in to the house for goodies to eat and drink. I remember picking flowers from the garden and taking them to the church to decorate the alter. Such wonderful memories. We visited Overstone Country House where my god mother lived, her name was Margaret... Read more
Caravan Rally
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
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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- Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
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- ... and lots more - Browse this week's memories now.
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