I decided to create Lilyholt Road in September 2007 because I thought that Benwick needed a real informative website, which contained all the information people both from the village and further a field would find useful and interesting. I always liked www.benwick.com, however I thought that it lacked a lot of information and I decided that I could perhaps provided the site to house all which www.benwick.com missed.
I first started creating the website on Geocities, but that was playing me up so I decided to go for it and spend money on a proper domain and hosting, naming the site was difficult because both benwick.com and benwick.co.uk had been taken, I didnt want to go for benwick.org, or benwick.net because I thought they'd far to easily get confused with the other websites, so I tried to think of something recognizable and symbolic to the village - Lilyholt Road, is one of the oldest roads in the village (previously called Back Road) and it also is the road with the Village Sign - as well as being the road I live down.
I spent ages scouring the internet to find as much information as I possibly could on the village, and then spent a few days down at March Library scanning every book for a mention of Benwick, and going back in time reading old Cambs Times editions on microfiche.
I found Benwick has quite an interesting History, but some parts where missing from my research - I couldn't find any images of
the old Baptist Chapel which was down the High Street and I couldn't find enough old images of the village- but help was at hand. I spent ages ringing around the country talking to different people and organisations before I managed to speak to David Woodruff of the Strict Baptist History Society, who provided me with copies of the records for the chapel, along with a picture.
I also spoke to an author of a book, to use a picture from 1975 of the shop, which he obliged to, before telling me he had a collection of 96 old postcards of Benwick, which he has sent me scans of. I am constantly updating the website with new photos, pages and information and always looking for people who may have something to contribute.
That's enough about the website - I am 18 and go to college at Long Road VI Form in Cambridge - doing my A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. As well as running this website, I am also on The Village Hall Committee, Benwick Residents Association and Parish Plan Steering Group. I am learning to drive again (failed last year) and spend most of my time listening to music (Pink Floyd are the best!), going to gigs or sleeping.
You can contact me:
E-mail :
Phone:
01354 677494
07791985722
or Post / in Person:
Hope Cottage, 1 Lilyholt Road, Benwick, March, Cambs, PE15 0XQ