Cater Museum – A credit to the town

Several Billericay club members are among the Trustees of our town's Cater Museum and Christine Brewster, the well-liked and respected Curator of the museum for over 11 years, came along to give a most interesting talk to the club about the museum's achie


Cater Museum – Looking Back  and Into The Future

Museums – just a hoarding place for relics, antiquities and old bones?  A warehouse of things ancient and of no interest to anyone living in the 21st century?  Wrong!

Several Billericay club members are among the Trustees of our town's Cater Museum and we all were delighted to hear Christine Brewster, curator of the Cater Museum in Billericay High Street, talk to us about the work the museum is doing to protect the town's heritage.  Listen to Christine, who has been curator for over 11 years and you realise two things:  firstly, all our local heritage and history is enshrined in one small building at 74 High Street; secondly, how a local museum which contains some antiquities that the British Museum would kill to own, are safely stored there.

Originally Christine hails from America and retains the hint of a drawl. As she admitted when she gave our members a wonderful talk on the developments of the museum since she last spoke to us some eight years ago, she now considers herself 90 per cent British and mocks those overseas tourists who pop in and who say to her:  We were in America recently – do you know America?  “Most of them ask: Do I speak German or French?  Cannot think why but I speak both. It helps with the questions.”

Since the museum attracts 2,500 visitors in an average year, Christine’s ability to meet and greet everyone on an equal basis is an advantage.  “Yes, we got a lot of Americans, Canadians and New Zealanders.  Many of them are seeking details of their ancestry – many of them have genuine connections with the area and we try to help.  We even located the details of ancestors of a couple whose ancestors lived in Billericay over a century ago and helped some Americans from Billerica in Massachusetts (one of Billericay’s twin towns) to find details of their great, great, great grandfather who they believe emigrated two centuries ago.

It goes on.  Christine displayed a piece of wood – not any ordinary piece of wood. This was found when the original building was demolished. Probable date – around 1588 –Elizabethan defence of Britain as Sir Francis Drake fought the Armada. A fairy light – a wooden box with a hole and a form of candle – dated 1800 – and amongst the museum’s “skeletal” collection, a wooden Noah’s Ark Model dug out of the mud after the bulldozers demolished a local house.

But , as Christine was anxious to emphasise, the museum is as much about current and future events and records as the past.  It is a museum with a garden.  “We are very proud of our garden,” she said. “It is something we have developed with a great deal of support.  Which is why when the developers came to us and said:  “Can we buy the land?”.  “My answer was, let us say, non-receptive!”

To emphasise their modern approach, Christine said how they had to deal with the recent floods which had thrown up all kinds of possible artifaxes which had to be examined and chosen.  “ Just one of the many things we are asked to consider.”

The museum involves all aspects of the local community.  They invite people to bring plants for their garden, have a Remus Horse Sanctuary Day for an afternoon of fun on May 10 and bring 15th Century to life with a Merrie Medieval Day on July 26 from 12 noon – 4.00pm.  It involves itself also with the The Fun Walk Trust, this year on May 18 at Barleylands Farm.  And our club president, Keith Wood presented Christine with a cheque for

Related pages...

Publicity Banner

Christmas Market 2023

more We support Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower's Christmas Market

Bonfire (night)

The Best Of British 2023

more As usual we supported a community event by supplying six volunteers to man the gates for Round Table’s 2023 Fireworks display at Lake Meadows Park.

Club Members at Basildon

Basildon Rotary Club 2023 Handover

more A delegation of members had a great evening supporting Basildon Rotary Club's 2023 Handover event

The invite

Fundraising Indian Buffet 2023

more We supported Basildon Concord's fundraiser in Benfleet

What a Hat!

Marie Curie Collection

more We supported our daughter club in collecting for this charity

Not too bad

A Quizzical Night 2023

more Saturday 28th January saw the Chantry Centre packed to capacity for the annual Billericay Town Rotary Club quiz. Our team was Michael, Les and Val, paired with three from Billericay Mayflower - President Mark Chambers, plus Barry and Angie Fagg

Santa in his sleigh

Billericay Christmas Market 2022

more Members supported Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower's premier event - the Christmas Market

Flyer for the evening

Basildon 62 Year Anniversary - 2022

more Nine Members of our club and partners supported our friends from Basildon Rotary Club at their Charter Dinner

A Great Jazz Band

Jazz in the Garden 2022

more Many members supportedRotary Club of Billericay Mayflower's fundraising event

Audience eagerly awaits the action

Murder Mystery Fundraiser - March 2022

more A Murder Mystery night raising Money for Rotary Club of Billericay Town's Charitable Causes.

Oyeh Oyeh

Christmas Market 2021

more We helped prepare and then supported the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower on the day

President Peter Townsend welcomes all

Basildon Anniversary – 61 Years!

more We joined Basildon Rotary Club in celebrating their Charter Evening

Quiz Masters - Just “Biden Our Time”

more We entered a team in the Rotary Club of Billericay Town's virtual quiz in aid of the local charity BOSP, and scoop the winner's prize.

Simple Design Simple Rotary Logo Effective protection

Masking the Virus 2020

more We support the Rotary Club of Billericay Town which has a fundraising venture to manufacture Covid-19 Face Coverings.

Santa makes another convert

Santa Collects

more Rotary Club of Billericay are delighted to support the Billericay Lions Santa Sleigh collections again this year.

Our Members in their finery

Basildon Rotary Charter Night 2019

more A most enjoyable night with our friends at the Rotary Club of Basildon, and £265 raised for Mercy Ships.

The New Club members

Billericay Town Rotary Club

more Billericay's new Rotary Club is Chartered

Top Table

Basildon Charter Night 2018

more A most enjoyable night with our friends at the Rotary Club of Basildon, and over £300 raised for Children in Need,

The team!

Billericay Town Rotary Club Quiz Night

more We win the Satellite Rotary Club of Billericay Town Quiz night in aid of Headway Essex

A great evening

Billericay Mayflower Charter Night 2018

more President Peter Greene and Wendy, Patrick Rothon and Carol, and Roger Kettle and Sarah all enjoyed Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower's hospitality at its 2018 Charter Night.

 A Festival of Stalls

Basildon Concord Mayfest 2018

more Club Members help out as marshals at Rotary Club of Basildon Concord’s Mayfest in Basildon Town Square. A great showcase of local charities.

A packed Hall

BIllericay Town Rotary Quiz Night 2018

more Rotary Club of Billericay Town Quiz Night raises over £700 for Charity

A full house for the horses

A 2017 Race Night

more 70 participants enjoyed a very successful Charity Race Night at Laindon - 8 Races, 8 horses each, but ... we didn't get enough winners! Never mind - the charities were the real winners!

Basildon Concord Team enjoying the fruits of their work

Basildon May Fest 2017

more On May 13, we supported the Rotary Club of Basildon Concord’s Mayfest. We reciprocate the help and support provided to us by other service clubs whenever we are able.

What are doing

Helping other clubs

more Members work with other Rotary clubs including travelling to Harwich to advise on the use of conventional and electronic tools to spread the word about Rotary

Club members at Basildon Charter Night

Basildon Charter Night 2016

more Basildon's 56th Charter Night

A great Dinner Dance in aid of Polly Parrot

2016 Basildon Concord Charity Dinner Dance

more Joining Basildon Concord Rotary club to help them raise money for charity, for fellowship and ... for a good night out!

The masses assemble

Partnership at Wickford 2015

more Fellowship at Wickford Rotary Club and a worthwhile charity

All dressed up and somewhere to go

World War 1 Centenary Exhibition - 2015

more A major exhibition on the centenary of WWI, featuring contributions from the Western Front association and four local Billericay Junior schools - Buttsbury, Quilters, ST Johns, St Peters.

Poster for the Heritage event

On the Heritage Trail

more Club Members supported the Rotary Club of Ongar's heritage event in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the local St Clare Hospice.

Destruction by Earthquake in Nepal

An Appealing Effort

more Members of our club helped Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower, our daughter club, collecting over £2300 for the Nepal Earthquake Appeal.

The Scoreboard at the ground

The Rotary Big Quiz 2015

more The District organized quiz to raise awareness of Rotary, raise money for Lancaster School and make an attempt on the World Record for the most people at a quiz. We sent along a team to participate. A great time was had by all.

A crowded Hall

Quiz Night at Ingatestone 2015

more Joining Ingatestone Rotary club for to help them raise money, for fellowship and a quiz, and almost triumphing!

Final Score!

Italian Quiz Night

more We supported the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower's fundraising event - an Italian Quiz Night with a team of club members and their wives.

150th Anniversary Banner adorns the Reading Rooms

Reading Rooms 150 Year Anniversary

more Billericay Reading Rooms celebrates its 150 Year Anniversary.

Basildon Rotary Club Bike Ride

Supporting the Community 2014 - I

more Club Members supported two major local fundraising events, organised by others, on Sunday May 18th. 2014. The Rotary Club of Basildon Bike Ride and the Billericay Fun Walk.

Legend - Bob Marley at Basildon Rotary Club

more Supporting Basildon Rotary Club at their fundraising Concert.

Supporting the Community 2014 - II

more Bonus distribution for the Fun Walk - this year an extra 60%.

A Magical Night 2014

more And he didn't even get wet.

Billericay Art Trail 2013

more The Billericay Art Trail 2013 brings together artists, retailers, caterers and community groups of Billericay to showcase the talents of local artists and to encourage more people to visit the wide variety of facilities in the town.

Race Night 2012

more Many members of Billericay Rotary Club supported the St. Luke's Hospice Events Group by supporting its fundraising Charity Race night.

Firewalk Autumn 2012

more Club members enjoyed a social outing in a good cause - supporting the Rotary Club of Basildon in their Charity Firewalk by sponsoring walkers, and cheering them on at the event.

Manor House

Abbots Ripton Hall Garden & Food Show

more Members travelled to Lord de Ramsey's garden in Abbots Ripton to support this major Charity Garden and Food Show.

back to page above this...

Brilliant work by the Cater Museum

Community Support

back These pages describe our activities in support of other organizations raising funds for those in need or supporting our local community.