Interview with Bill Billings (b.1938).
Bill Billings discusses some art projects he has worked on in Milton Keynes. Firstly he recalls recruiting youngsters to help him with the painting and cleaning up of the derelict pub in New Bradwell, which inspired the bewery to take action, demolish the pub and build houses. The second project that gave him great satisfaction was his painting of coffee cup rings (a spoof on roundabouts) which he placed at the Development Corporation offices. He also recalls smuggling his cartoons into a prestigious exhibition organised by Edna Read.
Bill talks of his disappointment at ‘not being able to make money at what he was good at.’ Some of his cartoons in City Limits were fairly critical of MKDC, but some MKDC staff were supportive. He discusses whether people who moved to MK, and their children who grew up here, have different attitudes from elsewhere, and talks of the types of crime committed. He gives his views on the difficulties of living in MK; and in his opinion the original towns Wolverton and Bletchley were badly treated by MKDC, with very little funding. ‘There was resentment from Bletchley and there still is’.
No Comments
Add a comment about this page