William Bertram Taylor ‘Billy’

“Memories are something no one can steal”

Bill was the very much loved husband of June and a very much loved dad of Julie, Tracey, Anthony, Michelle and Shane.

Also a cherished Grandad, Great-grandad and brother to Dorothy.

Bill passed away at Leighton Hospital on 2nd January 2021 aged 76 years.

Billy was married to June for almost fifty-eight years, he was a much-loved dad to Julie, Tracy, Anthony, Michelle & Shane, a father-in-law and especially close to Dave who shared his passion for model railways, a cherished grandad to Megan, Connor and Mark who he pretty much brought up, Christopher Paul and Stacey, Daniel, Jonathan and Gemma, Kelly, Matthew, Jake and Jessica.  He was a great grandad, a dear brother to Dorothy, a brother-in-law, uncle and friend to many but his lifelong best friends were Dave and Elaine.

By being here today to celebrate a life well lived and to say goodbye to Billy together will I hope, bring comfort at such a sad time.  Love doesn’t end with dying, or leave in the last breath, for someone you have loved unconditionally, love doesn’t end with death.  The act of death does take a life, but it doesn’t end a relationship.  Today we honour Billy’s inimitable character and his distinct laugh and by all accounts, it was a bit of a rude one especially in the cinema, June remembers everyone used to turn round to see where it was coming from and he had a rather cute smile which covered up a multitude of sins!  By being here together thinking of Billy and allowing him to go on his journey, you can also thank him for the memories he has gifted to you and you can recall every part of his comical personality with a smile.

Born at his grannies in Megacre on 13th February 1944, Billy was one of six children welcomed into the world by his cherished mum Queenie and his dad Sid.  He never really talked much about his childhood but evidently, he lacked in confidence in his formative years and that seemed to run in the family.  He doted on his mum but his dad was quite strict although Billy did chance his arm with his mischievous tricks like letting his dad’s tyres down so he couldn’t go to work!

The family lived in Wood Lane, Stoke on Trent.  After leaving school, Billy got a job at corona pop, he then started work as a trainee electrician at Swetmens but didn’t like to be in a factory under the authoritarian rule of a boss, so he became a long-distance lorry driver and enjoyed the freedom of the road with no one giving him orders.

He met the love of his life on a blind date one good Friday when he was just eighteen and June was a year younger.  June’s friend asked her if she wanted to go on a date and she nonchalantly replied: “well I’ve got nothing better to do!”  She may have casually agreed to go but there was obviously an instant attraction.  He met her from work on Easter Saturday and ten months later they were married.

They started married life in Wood Lane, but after twelve months, June’s mum dearly wanted her to return to Crewe.  After living with June’s parents for a while, they moved to West Avenue.  Julie was born in Linden Grange and Tracey was born at home; Billy then found a hob on a farm in Elton which came with a farm cottage.  Anthony came along and they eventually moved to a new council house on Wentworth Terrace, in Crewe, renamed the Greenacre Estate in later years.  Michelle and Shane completed the family.  After leaving the estate, they moved to Henry Street then Frank Bott Avenue where they have lived for around twenty-two years.  Billy had various jobs including milk delivery and he also worked on an ice cream van which had the perk of free ice cream!

Billy was extremely practical; he could turn his hand to anything and even spray painted his own cars!  He had to have the correct tools for the job, he probably had more tools than Screwfix have in stock.  He was a total perfectionist and got ever so cross if he didn’t get it right – he just would not settle for anything substandard, so much so, despite working on something for weeks, if it wasn’t right would start all over again! With a bit of a paddy thrown in for good measure!

He had varied interests, but his passion was music and as the children got older, he had more time on his hands to take lessons.  He bought his own organ and had rooks of sheet music and books.  With hours of practice, he learnt to read music and taught himself more techniques.

He and Dave enjoyed ‘their jamming sessions’ until early hours of the morning.  Shane learnt to play and Mark also had a dabble the two of them sometimes joined the music session.  And I believe our music today is a selection of what he loved to hear Dave play.

He also liked caravanning and was a member of the Trailer Caravan Club.  To his delight, all the family bought their own shiny new caravans, and they would go in convoy visiting places like Devon, Paignton and Porthcawl and every weekend even if it was raining, snowing, or ice on the ground they loved to get together as local as Sandbach or Rees Heath with other members of the club.  Billy and June’s caravan was an old sprite yet it was where all the family congregated because it was always snug and warm.  They were crammed like sardines in a tin with a large pan of porridge on the go and lots of warm toast, but they had some fabulous holidays and lots of laughs like the times they got stuck in the mud, but he loved being at his rightful place, at the head of the family.  June told me she misses all that.

Billy was also a keen gardener; he had the same approach to gardening as everything else in life.  He created the most spectacular floral displays packed with variety and colour, usually nurturing the cuttings in his greenhouse, cultivating beautiful blooms like fuchsias and dahlia’s worthy of any show and he was always in a rush to get home to water his pride and joy and on a sunny day, he loved nothing more than to relax in a recliner enjoying the rays.  In later life he tried his hand at tomatoes and cucumbers too.

And there were the nights he would sit for hours chatting to son in law Dave about trains, if one bought a new train the other had to have the same!  And I believe June and Tracey left them to get on with it whilst they enjoyed their own time together.

Despite Billy’s extravagance when it came to his passion for music and trains, he hated being ripped off, for instance he moaned about the price of a first-class stamp and refusing to pay the price of something like a hat, he would walk miles to find it cheaper! And it was no use trying to change his opinion, it was as rigid as a solid brick wall, no movement in it whatsoever!

His funeral will take place on Friday 15th January at Crewe Crematorium.