Billy’s travelling lifestyle is a long way from Longroyd Bridge!

Jul 9 2008 by Andrew Baldwin, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THE Channel Islands have been good to Billy McAvinue.

He settled in Jersey at the age of 21, started a heating and plumbing business which did well and now spends a lot of time travelling.

Yet he almost didn’t go there at all.

His original intention was to go to South Africa, he recalled on a visit to Huddersfield to see old friends from his home town.

He said: “That was in the early 1960s and I was warned then that the political situation in South Africa wasn’t very good.

“I’d been to Jersey with a gang of guys, so I decided to go there instead.”

It paid off.

Billy, 65, had already served an apprenticeship as a heating engineer with T H Rayner, based first at Upperhead Row in Huddersfield town centre and then at Waterloo.

He worked in that trade for the first three years of his new life in Jersey before launching out with a company of his own.

There were some prestigious clients on the prosperous island.

Customers included holiday camp tycoon Sir Billy Butlin, golfer Ian Woosnam, singer Gilbert O’Sullivan and thriller writer Harry Patterson.

It built up into a successful venture which Billy sold at the age of 46, finally stopping work at 56.

He has recently returned from South Africa, where he spent the winter in Cape Town, and was in Huddersfield last week for a golf tournament organised by good friend Gerry Murphy, Huddersfield Town’s youth development manager.

Gerry has been a mate since the age of 13 and is now enjoying a testimonial year awarded to him by Town.

A gala dinner for him at the Galpharm Stadium in September is also a date on Billy’s calendar.

Sport has played a big part in Billy’s life.

He played football in Huddersfield, first as an outside left and then centre forward for Milnsbridge YMCA, Bradley Civic Youth Club and Birkby.

In Jersey Billy actually played against Crystal Palace in a pre-season friendly when Terry Venables was their manager.

Billy turned out for First Tower United, backed by industrialist Jack Walker, who later took over Blackburn Rovers.

Golf is now his sport and he was at Outlane last Thursday playing off a 20 handicap at Gerry Murphy’s day.

He is a member of the Royal Jersey club and likes to try out courses on his travels around the world.

The United States, Switzerland, Vietnam and Australia are among the countries he has visited on his globe-trotting.

Billy was born on Bankfield Road, off Manchester Road, near St Thomas’s Church at Longroyd Bridge.

“I remember running about as a kid in the area, kicking a football,” he says.

Dad Bill was from Ireland and mum Mary from Liverpool. They had five sons and one daughter.

He lived in Bankfield Road until he was 16, when the family moved to Brackenhall and was educated at St Patrick’s School, which merged with St Joseph’s.

When he’s back in Huddersfield in September he will attend a reunion for old pals who are now 65.

“I hope to see many of my very young-looking friends from yesteryear from Chinnys, the Empress and Charlie Frosts,” he says.

He was best man for ex-Town and Arsenal full-back Bob McNab, who now lives in Los Angeles and still keeps in touch with him.

Ken Senior, who played rugby league for Huddersfield at Fartown, is also still a good friend and others are Les Gill, Dave Franklin and Tony Collins.

Billy and wife June, who are now divorced, had a son, Craig, and daughter Kate.

Craig, 31, works in finance in Jersey, while Kate, 26, is a dancer whose shows have included The Spirit of the Dance in Las Vegas.

l Contact Billy by email at billymac1212@hotmail.com