Billericay

Billericay is a town in the Essex district of Basildon in England. Its name is pronounced 'bill-uh-ricky' (in IPA, ). It has a population of 40,000 and is part of the London commuter belt. The local railway station is Billericay railway station.

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A meeting of the Pilgrim Fathers prior to their sailing in the Mayflower is said to have taken place in Billericay, and much local nomenclature and historical imagery reflects this: Mayflower House, Taxis, School, Hall etc, etc.

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Billericay's MP is John Baron (Conservative). It was previously represented by Theresa Gorman, a Conservative rebel who had the whip withdrawn for opposing the Maastricht Treaty. Throughout political history, Billericay has generally always been a Conservative heartland, with neither Labour nor the Liberal Democrats enjoying any notable success. At a local level, Billericay is part of Basildon district council, which is currently dominated by the Tories.

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Billericay Town FC is the local football team, managed by Justin Edinburgh and are in the Ryman Premier League. The stadium is called the New Lodge and has a capacity of 3,500.

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The town is now served by a small community radio station, Phoenix FM. The station allows local townsfolk and organisations to get involved with issues regarding local politics, fundraising, and promotion of art and music.

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Billericay is twinned with Fishers, Indiana and Billerica, Massachusetts. It was immortalised in the Ian Dury and the Blockheads song 'Billericay Dickie'.

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Essex: :This article is about the county of Essex in England. For other places named Essex, see Essex (disambiguation)....

Basildon: :For the Berkshire villages, see Upper Basildon and Basildon, Berkshire. For the Berkshire country house, see Basildon Park....

England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....