Roger Still 1952 -2020
I was born on the 11th March 1952 at 35 Vicarage Close, Halling. It was a Tuesday but I think I had other things on my mind. I was the fourth child of Vic and Kath Still. Vicarage Close was a brand new council estate and like many others my parents were the first to live in their house. It was a great place to grow up. We had a largish garden, The green in the middle of the estate - called the circle - to play on, there was the Cam path, the lower rec and further afield the upper rec and old factory behind the High Street. My grand-parents lived along the High Street. There was the ferry path which went down to the river and in Upper Halling the woods. We ran free but never wild. I went to Halling Primary School where I had my first taste of “acting” when I played the voice of the Beast in a puppet production of Beauty and the Beast. It seems I had a deep loud voice. This was used again in another primary school production of “The Abominable Slowman” where I was the offstage roar of the monster. I also had a walk-on part of an Indian and got my first smell of greasepaint. In the Close we were one of the first to have a TV, a car and a dedicated telephone. Leaving primary school I went to Snodland Secondary Modern later to be rename Holmsdale. It was a good school and I was in two plays. A welsh play Davy Jones Locker where I played Fred the Lamp Boy, and the part of the pastor in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
I sang in the choir at St John's and was a paper boy at what is now Vinny's, delivering along the Kent Road..
It was the 60’s and so much was happening. Space rockets were going up everywhere, there were the shows of Gerry Anderson and the Avengers on ITV, and Doctor Who on the BBC with Dalek mania sweeping the country. Pop music lead by the Beatles was booming and the pirate radio stations filled the airwaves with unheard commercials and jingles. England won the world cup in ‘66. It really was a wonderful time to be growing up.
Most summer holidays were spent at Seasalter where we used to collect cockles on the sand flats and put out “dead lines” to catch flat fish. All of which we ate and enjoyed all the more for having caught them.
1968 saw me leave school and start work at Holborough Cement works as a laboratory technician. Many a night in the 70's I spent in the Five Bells.
I had the honour of writing and directing pantomimes in the village for the fire brigade, a lovely crowd of enthusiastic actors who put their heart and soul into our community. We rehearsed in the fire station then packed out the community Centre for performance nights of laughter and frolics.
I was an active member of the Willington Players and acted in numerous plays and latterly directed many others.
I also enjoyed my seasonal Christmas role bringing joy to a number of children as a jolly Santa visiting pre-school playgroups and rainbows and brownies. The magic in their eyes could not be bottled.
(Very sadly, after a short illness, Roger passed away in February 2020 . .. . .RIP Roger)
