Billesdon, Leicestershire. 1977 1990

A Memory of Billesdon.

My dad moved his family into 3 Knights Close, Billesdon, when I was 7 years old.
Our family consisted of my dad Terry, my mum Jytte, my brother Steven and myself Dionne.
Our neighbours were the Townsend’s at No 1, the Harrison’s at No 2, Elsie, Leslie and Sally in No 4, the Margates in No 5 and the Farmers at No 6.
What a fantastic childhood I had growing up in Billesdon.
Open fields, trees, nature and fresh air. The summer holidays were brilliant. I would go with other kids from the village (Jonathan Walker, Peter, Kim Townsend, Julie and Paula Lee, Louise Weston, Adam Bishop) to ‘Holiday Bible club’!!... we were also allowed to jump in the back of the post van and take a trip with the postman around the village and neighbouring villages whilst he delivered the post.
Don and Sue Hoare, the shop keepers, started a Friday night youth club and disco at the village hall which was a great success. One night there was a ‘dance-a-thon ‘ , who could dance the longest - and I won!.
I have fond memories of waiting for the school bus to take us to Kibworth High School- we waited in the morning outside the village shop, chucking snow balls at each other when there was snow - getting to school soaking wet!.
I remember the grumpy bus driver too!. ( Nesbit Brothers busses)
In those days doors were never locked, we played without fear in the streets and on the village green.
I remember the bypass being built and how the village was before the bypass- lorries thundering through this sleepy village.
My mum used to make me and Kim Townsend collect sheep droppings for her garden,.
As we got older we would visit the 3 pubs in the village, the White Hart, the Greyhound and the Queen's Head. My dad worked sometimes as a barman in the Queens, and we (the kids) would often sit in the car park under an outside shelter used to store empty crates and bottles - the landlord never minded.
As older teens we would go to the White Hart and have a coke! .
My dad was a regular at the Greyhound, and often stumbled home from there !!.
I’m 51 yrs old now. I’m so thankful that I got to spend my formative years in such a wonderful paradise.