In September 2002, during Billerica's annual Yankee Doodle weekend celebration twenty nine members of the Billericay Mayflower Twinning Association (BMTA) issued a friendly challenge to the people of Billerica MA. That challenge was to form a similar group in Billerica to formalize the twinning of Billerica and Billericay Essex U.K. and to visit Billericay. On June 17, 2004 ten people from the Billerica Twinning Group (9 adults and one 8 year old third grader) from Billerica MA answered that challenge by boarding a Virgin Atlantic flight bound for London's Heathrow Airport.

We boarded the 747 for our 7:25 flight which took approximately 6 hours. Considering the time difference and flight time, it was around 7:00 Friday morning when we landed. Once through customs and baggage claim, we were greeted by members of the BMTA. They had been planning for our arrival for quite some time and had to be up at 3:00 am to meet our flight. They had a "coach" (a coach in England is a bus to us) waiting to take us to Billericay.

The weather was cool, about 60 degrees and rain seemed imminent. According to Claire Morley, this was typical English summer weather. We boarded the coach for the one hour plus trip to Billericay, which is northeast of London. During the ride those who couldn't sleep on the plane, caught quick catnaps. Others chatted with our hosts about everything from traffic and weather to English politics.

Our coach took us from the airport to our hotel in Basildon. There are no hotels in Billericay. The area surrounding the Holiday Inn seemed very familiar to the weary Americans. Within walking distance from the hotel, were several familiar chain restaurants including The Macaroni Grill, TGI Fridays, Chilis and McDonald's.

Thanks to a mini bus provided by the local division of Ford Motor Company, and the driving skills of BMTA members Andy Wait, Claire and Susan Morley, we were provided transportation for our entire visit. With the exception of a couple of days, our itinerary was packed with tours of various sites and locations in and around Billericay. As promised, the mini bus was waiting in the hotel parking lot to take us to Billericay to begin our adventure.

Our first stop was for a welcome lunch at Stewart's Pub. A small function room on the second floor was reserved for us and the BMTA. Members of the BMTA and Billerica Twinning Group mingled for a short time until a buffet lunch was served. After lunch, BMTA chairman Hazel Morley presented us with welcome packets. Included in the packets were copies of a local newspaper article explaining why the flag from Billerica MA was flying at the Billericay police station, brochures from local attractions, maps of the area, mall English flags featuring the cross of St. George and a letter from the US Embassy in London welcoming us.

The rest of our first day was spent touring in Billericay, including the Quilters Infant School for 5-7 year olds. We happened to visit the school at the time of their afternoon assembly. The Head Teacher, Mrs. Luckman (similar to our principal) invited us to participate. She invited the students to ask questions. Their queries included what kind of cars we have and what do we call our language, English or American. Our youngest traveler, 8 year old Rebecca Burns then presented the school with various mementos from the Hajjar School. After the assembly, we were introduced to English tea, biscuits with clotted cream and fresh strawberries.

From there we were taken back to High St. in Billericay. High St. is the main street in town. This is the main center of town where you'll find pubs, banks, a grocery store and small shops, most of which are located in the same buildings that stood in Billericay as early as the 15th century. Also on High St. is the Cater museum. This is the local history museum and included artifacts from Billericays long history and some photos of our own Billerica. Our first day concluded with a tour of the Billericay Police Station.

Saturday started with a 9:30 am pickup for a quick ride to Ingatestone Hall. There we met Lord Petre (pronounced Peter), whose family has owned the home since its construction in 1540. Lord Petre, as his title appears is sort of local royalty. He is the Queen's representative for the area surrounding and including Billericay. We were fortunate to have him as our tour guide. As he led us through various rooms in the home, explaining how people lived there over the centuries, one could imagine what life must have been like. Many original tapestries hung on the walls and we were not forbidden to touch these priceless artifacts. Lord Petre's ancestors who occupied the house were Catholic in a time in England when Catholicism was not really tolerated. As a result, the home included several small hidden, dog house size spaces where it is thought that residents would hide priests if the authorities ever visited. After our tour, we were served tea and biscuits by Lord Petre himself. We were told that the China that we were drinking our tea from was older than the town of Billerica.

After some free time and lunch on High St. in Billericay, we were taken on a guided tour of Norsey Woods. Mr. David Bremmer guided us on the tour of the area of Billericay that could be traced back to ancient times. He also took the time to explain how the English flag came to be. The "Union Jack" as it is known is a combination of the English flag containing the cross of St. George, the Scottish flag containing the cross of St. Andrew and the Irish flag of St. Patrick. After stopping to pose for pictures as a group and with our hosts, we were treated to a traditional fish and chips supper on High St. in Billericay.

Sunday was a relatively quiet day. We went to the 10am service at Great Burstead church in Billericay. Before the service, we presented a gift from St. Anne's Episcopal Church in North Billerica to Fr. Stan Swift. After the service, we had time to tour the church, enjoy the sunny weather on the grounds and make our way to our scheduled art exhibition and lunch with the Billericay Art Club. In the church hall, local artists displayed their craft and several members of our group liked the art work so much, some unexpected sales were made. Our afternoon was spent on a walking tour of High St, guided by Mr. Roy Mizen. He explained the origins and history of the various buildings up and down High St. We reconvened for a trip to the United Reform Church where BMTA member Joy Wilson attends. There we met Mr. Mynott and Miss Kathleen Martin who explained how Billericay has direct links to the Mayflower and Christopher Martin from Billericay was a passenger.

There was only one item on our agenda for Monday, a trip to Windsor Castle in Windsor. The trip was about an hour and a half from our hotel and we were thankful they had a full size motor coach for it. When we arrived, members of the BMTA told us that Queen Elizabeth was in residence. This was evident by the Queens standard (flag) which was flying high over the castle. The tour was a self guided one and one could make the tour as quick or as long as we wanted. That is, as long as we were back to the coach by the designated time.

Tuesday found us back on the coach. This time we were headed for London. The traffic getting into London was very familiar to anyone who has driven to Boston during morning rush hour. After a 2 hour bus ride, we were in the city of London. Once there, we were led into Parliament. Once past security, we were treated to a tour that normally only English citizens are allowed to take. Our guided tour of parliament included a behind the scenes tour of where laws and government policies are debated and created. We were allowed onto the floor of the House of Commons. Even the Queen can't enter the House of Commons. After our tour we met with John Baron. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Billericay in the House of Commons. This position is similar to that of a U.S. Senator representing his or her state in Washington DC. As member the British Conservative party, Mr. Baron does not always see eye to eye with Prime Minister Blair. One of the current topics under discussion in Parliament is whether the United Kingdom should join with the European Union. Most of our hosts seemed to be against joining the Union as did Mr. Baron.

After our tour and meeting, we walked a block or two to a tour boat launch on the River Thames. We took the boat down the river, with great views of the London eye, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Tower Bridge and various other sites. We got off the boat at the Tower of London. This is the oldest palace, fortress and prison in Europe. It was created by William the Conqueror around 1050. By the end of the 12th century, a moat was added and the Tower was expanded. Today it houses the Crown Jewels. Once through a metal detector, glass enclosed displays showed visitors how royalty entertained. Large gold punch bowls and chalices were on display. In addition, swords once used by ancient kings could also be viewed. Then there were the Crown jewels which were enclosed in thick glass. Included in the collection were the jewels worn for the coronation of Kings and Queens from throughout history including the tiara worn by Queen Victoria and one worn by Queen Elizabeth. To control the crowds and give everyone a chance to view the jewels, a moving sidewalk was used to keep visitors moving.

From the Tower, we boarded the bus for a quick ride to the London eye. The eye resembles a very large Ferris wheel and was originally conceived to be the millennium wheel. However, it was not finished in time to open for the turn of the century. It contains approximately 25 completely enclosed capsules that hold about 25 - 30 people. It does not stop rotating as you board or exit, however it doesn't really move too fast and moves so smoothly that no one had difficulty entering or exiting. The eye takes 30 minutes to complete the entire circle and enables the visitor fantastic views of London from over 400 feet above the River Thames.

Wednesday was a free day. It was also very rainy. Our group chose to visit the nearby town of Colchester. Its origins date back to Roman times and is the oldest town in the area. Claire and Susan Morley were our drivers and guides. Once in Colchester, we were on our own to visit the local museum, castle and to shop. And there were many shops along Colchester's main street to explore. From there we went to visit Southend on Sea. This area is similar to our Salisbury or Hampton Beach area. It had a small amusement park, although most of the surrounding shops were closed due to the inclement weather.

Thursday was another free day. Once again our gracious hostesses, Claire and Susan Morley accompanied their guests on our train ride into London. By train, London is a manageable 30 minute ride, not unlike a commute from the North Billerica train station into Boston. Once in London, we split into smaller groups to explore our own places of interest. Various sights included most of the typical tourist sights including the British Museum, Covent Gardens, Buckingham Palace, Harrods and more. Some of our group ventured out on their own and got around the city by the Tube (subway) and transit bus others motored their way around aboard the many double-decker tour busses available. The day ended with a relaxing train ride back to Billericay.

Friday was our final full day in England. It was once again packed with tours and visits. Our first stop was the Buttsbury Junior School (8-11 year olds). Here the students were our guides. Various students were chosen ahead of time to guide small groups of guests around their school. One could tell from listening to our tour guides how well spoken and well behaved they are and how proud they were of their school. At the end of the tour, we were once again treated to tea and biscuits.

We also visited Unbar Rothon. This is a local business in Billericay. Here they manufacture spices that are used in sausage manufacturing. We were taken on a guided tour of the plant and test kitchen where we were able to taste some of the products made there.

After lunch, we went to our third school. The Billericay school is closest to our High School and is for children ages 11-18. In England, students may legally terminate their education at age 16, but to go onto University, they need the additional 2 years of education.

The day and the trip (sadly) ended with an English garden party at a local home in Billericay. The home was a thatched roof cottage and the garden in the backyard was the perfect setting. We were treated to Tudor style dancing, complete in traditional costumes by Mr. and Mrs. Terrance Gandy and an exhibition of how to ring bells in a bell choir by Miss Kathleen Martin of the United Methodist Church in Billericay. Everyone we met during the trip was invited to the party and most were able to make it. It was nice seeing everyone we had met during the week. After we ate, the BMTA and the Billerica Twinning group presented the other groups members with mementos of our trip.

It appeared as our new friends didn't want our visit to end either as MOST of them gathered with us that evening to take over the lounge of the hotel just to spend a little more time together. It made us feel very welcome and wanted right up to the end.

One would think that would be the end, and we had shared everything possible in the time allowed. But we were wrong. A few of our new friends went to the airport to see us off. We dawdled as long as possible together. Rebecca was having a hard time leaving her new friends and started to cry. Ok you can expect this from an 8 year old, but when her friends started to get misty eyed you know a bond a friendship, a link was formed.

Throughout our time there, we learned a lot about Billericay and how it is similar to Billerica. Development issues and government finance issues face both towns. Both towns have about 40,000 residents and are about the same distance from a major city.

Overall, the Billerica Twinning Group met the challenge issued by the BMTA. This trip turned out to be much more than a vacation. We weren't there to solve world problems or plan world events but we were in fact representatives of our town in a foreign country. As such, it was apparent to us that not only do the two towns have a twin connection due to history, but a present and future connection which will continue to grow and flourish. Becky is already making plans to attend University and live with Andy and Marilyn. Our hosts could not have been more hospitable and accommodating. They became friends who we plan to communicate with often via email and regular mail. It was evident that many hours of planning and fund raising was done in anticipation of our visit. And for that, we are very appreciative.

The BMTA is planning to visit Billerica once again sometime in 2005, to help us celebrate Billerica's 350th anniversary. Theirs will be a tough act to follow, but as before, the Billerica Twinning Group is ready for the challenge and we look forward to hosting the BMTA next year.
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