New Chum

 I was 7 years old when my family moved to Tillingham in 1944.My Father worked for Mr Drakeford  who owned Readings Farm.At the tender age of 10 I was roused from my bed one morning during the severe winter of 1947 to help rescue sheep from snow drifts.

When my Brother & I first attended Tillingham school we were befriended by a young chap named Billie Wright. He & I were firm friends & used to support Wolverhamton Rovers FC. This was due to the fact that a chap named Billie Wright was the captain of said team. We went off him a bit when he married.I last saw Bill when we were serving in our respective regiments in Colchester.He borrowed a battered old motor bike the night before he was shipped out to Cyprus. We went to Burnham to visit his Fiancee. We ran out of petrol & had to walk back to Colchester arriving in time for Reveille.

After the war we moved into the new Swedish houses built at the end of Creek Rd. The best plums grown in the village came from a tree at the Bus stop at the end of Creek Rd. The best apple orchard was the Doctors orchard next to the West Field while the tastiest tomatoes grew in the field behind the Cricket Pavilion.

In 1952 I left the village to join that elite band of the Infantry Boys Battalion and after two & a half years training as an instructor in small arms I joined the 1st Bn Essex Rgt in Hong Kong.A while later Mum & Dad moved to Broomfield. But dispite the fact that we were never accepted in the village due to not having been born there Tillingham is where I spent my happy formative childhood.

I now live in Queensland Australia having emigrated here in 1965.When we get the chance to visit the UK I still make a trip back to Tillingham. Afriend who lives in Heybridge Basin reckons that Tillingham is the village that time forgot due to the fact it never seems to alter. I hope he is right.

The screen saver on my PC is a picture I took of Tillngham Church from the village green on a visit there in winter of 2008 when I came over for my brothers funeral.  

My Name? Derek Cotton.

Welcome to POE, Derek. 

I hope you join us often here, as it seems you are talented at sharing.

 I'm looking forward to visiting your beloved Tillingham, through your pictures which I hope you submit. 

We're a friendly bunch, so jump right in. 

Welcome from me also, just a minor correction, it was Wolverhampton Wonderers, not rovers, that you would have watched and yes Billy Wriight did ply for them. He married the centre one of the Beverley Sisters, Joy I think she was called.

Beverley Sisters

Hi Derek, and welcome to the POE family. :-)