Jim Billingham

Studying to be a handicraft teacher in class H2A. He was an outstanding student who graduate with DLC (Hons).

In the the Centenary year he was awarded an honorary BSc. He was a very talented craftsman, a keen Rugby player and a long serving Head of Design at Northampton Grammar School before retiring and continuing to teach at the charity based St Peters College where he also equipped the workshops at his own expense and work. He achieved great success through out his life despite being suffering from severe diabetes from the moment he went to Loughborough. He never let than stop him from his teaching, church work and his hobby of Inland Water travels which took him the length and breadth of the British Isles in a boat he built himself .

He was married to his devoted wife for over 60 years and is great missed by his son and daughter and his two grandchildren . Despite being very handicapped for the last 5 years he never gave up, still taking a great interest in the Royal Artillery with who he served in Egypt from 1951 to 1953 as a National Serviceman with the rank of Corporal. Those who served with him will remember what a dangerous and difficult posting that was , especially for 18 year olds just out of school. He was delighted when his Grandson James became the Captain of the Queens Guard at Windsor Castle a year ago .

I shared a room with him at Charnwood Hall and have been a close friend of him and his family ever since.

He alway set an outstanding example what ever he did and what ever his state of health.

He will be much missed by a very considerable number of ex students, colleagues and friends .

Written by friend and fellow alumnus Robert Barnes, who attended Loughborough College with Jim from 1953 to 1956.