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CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
In Memorandum
With such a long period of being in existence, inevitably valued members
pass-on. Last year John Bath died. Recently both John James, who researched
and wrote several articles on aspects of Billericay, and former Chairman
Alex McGregor, have died. Although Alex moved 400 miles away to Scotland
he kept in touch with the Society. Our sympathy and best wishes go to
their families. Short obituaries are included in this newsletter.
Our First Eighty Years
The committee has commissioned ‘Billericay Society 80 years’
pins. They will be available for Members when your subscription is renewed.
Wear them with pride, you are helping to preserve Billericay’s heritage.
Armistice Day
We have just received our annual wreath for this service at the War Memorial,
which we attend each year. Our President will lay our wreath.
Billericay In Bloom
We have received acknowledgement for donating to Billericay in Bloom,
which we do each year. This is one of the local activities we support
that enhance the character of the town.
High Street
The saga of Elizabeth Cottage continues to be a blight on the northern
entrance to the High Street, without any positive resolution. The courts
have to give the owner time to respond to their demands to restore the
building in compliance with the rules for the Billericay Conservation
Area. While there is another potential problem at the southern end of
the High Street as we wait to see the fate of the Rising Sun.
David Bremner
SOCIAL EVENINGS
Marian Thilo, our Social Secretary, continues to provide interesting speakers
for our third Wednesday of the month social evenings which continue to
be well attended.
Since the September speaker was away receiving an award, he could not give his talk. Our sincere thanks to Brian Dawson for bringing his talk forward a month. He quickly prepared pictures about The Broomway: an ancient footpath on Foulness Island. His aerial pictures illustrated the extent of the flat open expanses and waterways of Foulness.
Octobers postponed September presentation ‘Travels with my Chicken’ by Martin Gurdon was well worth the wait. His account of his antics with his pet chickens was surprisingly amusing.
On 19th November Fran Smith, from The Remus Horse Sanctuary, will talk on “The love-life of her animals.”
We finish the year’s social programme with our Christmas Social
on 17th December. As usual a fish or chicken and chips supper with a glass
of wine and selection of desserts will be provided.
This will be followed by music and humorous entertainment by Ray Spiller.
Tickets are now available for this end of year event at £7.50. Where
else can receive an evening entertainment and be fed at Christmas for
£7.50?
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Programmes for next year’s social evenings will be available at
the Christmas Social. They will be given out when Lesley Humphries receives
your 2015 subscription.
ORBITUARIES
Vice President Alec McGregor, who died recently after a short illness
aged 84, in Scotland where he had lived since the early nineties, was
an enthusiastic, hard-working popular former Chairman of the Society.
Difficult to replace, he was the first Chairman to break the three year
Constitution rule for The Society’s office of Chairman, serving
a total of nine years. He finally stood down in 1991 prior to relocating
in Scotland. Under his leadership spring bulbs were planted in various
places around the town, including the embankment of Billericay station.
He also arranged for the Society to plant trees and bulbs at Perry Green
– the name of the triangle of green land by the junction of London
Road with Mountnessing Road, which he worked hard to establish. For a
number of years he laid a wreath of poppies at the War Memorial on Remembrance
Day on behalf of The Society. On his move to Scotland, he became a Society
Vice President, an active role he held until his death.
He joined the then General Committee of the Society in 1968 becoming Chairman in 1982. In 1989 he took on editing the Newsletter in addition to the role of Chairman. One of his initiatives, now discontinued, was an annual long distance Society walk, of about 16-miles. The routes for these walks were arranged in conjunction with Norman Turner. He was also involved with the late Ted Wright, then Curator of the Cater Museum, accompanying him on an annual ‘know your town’ walk.
An architect who worked for Essex County Council, he met Roy Mizen, another former Chairman for the Society, now a Vice President, at college. After retiring from the council he specialised in designing dialysis rooms for hospitals and private houses.
During his time in Billericay he acquired an impressive knowledge of both its history and surrounding countryside, which he was only too willing to share with anyone interested.
He spent much of his retirement tracing his own family tree, and also
for many others who requested his help. In Scotland he became an active
member of the McGregor Clan Society and was proud to be a flag bearer
at Clan Gatherings and meeting clan members from all over the world who
regularly attend such events.
Although his son Stuart sadly pre-deceased him, he is survived by his
wife Lily – who many will remember as a teacher at Sunnymede Junior
School – and his daughter Hilary, who lives in America.
John James worked in the planning department of the Town Council with former Society Treasurer John Bath, then situated in 108 High Street. He was a member of both the Billericay Society and the Archaeological and Historical Society.
He was very active in retirement researching and publishing items on several aspects of the history of the town, notably ‘The Lost Farms of Billericay.’ This fully indexed book of nearly 200 pages provides details of the farms and their occupiers that once reached almost to the High Street. He privately published it in hardback depositing copies in both Billericay Library and the Cater Museum. His other publications included leaflets on Mill Meadows, the 1901 Census, the High Street, Billericay in the Domeday Book and the Ralph Agas 1593 Survey of Great Burstead.
His only daughter pre-deceased him. He is survived by his wife.
