Cheston Village

A Reference Map of Cheston Village, from 2016.

Cheston Village (not to be confused with the similarly-named town of Cheston in South Brent) is a fictional landmark in Surrey, England, and home to several characters in ***The Adventures Of Billy Butterbread***, as well as the series' primary setting overall.

## History

The exact founding date of Cheston Village is unknown, but it has been home to a small - but steadily growing community - since approximately 832 AD; it is named after Sir Robert Cheston - a knight of the realm, who gave his life single-handedly defending a large company of travelers (who would go on to become the first residents of the village) from a regiment of Vikings who were on the attack.

There have been several notable events down the ages across the village's history:

One such incident tells of an assassination attempt made on Queen Victoria during a Royal visit, which was thwarted by the local Police; Inspector Michael Worthing, formerly of Scotland Yard, whose great-granddaughter, Janet Worthing, went on to join the Cheston Police Service in the early-21st Century - inspired by his heroic actions.

In 1897, the working conditions of the Village Mine had been unbearable, and Alistair Rotherham (the incumbent Mayor at the time) was sacked by the families and friends of six dead men, who had fallen ill as a result of the Mine's poor maintenance and economic climate.

Overlooking the village is The Great Hill - standing several feet high, upon which lies the Butterbread Family Estate.

More of Cheston's history will be revealed as ***The Adventures Of Billy Butterbread*** progresses.

## Community & Economy

The village has a long history of bread-making, going as far back as 1191, AD; it is currently unknown who founded it - but rumours have circulated for over seventy years, suggesting that it was the Butterbread Family who did so at the time in question.

Sadly, however, this aspect of life in Cheston has been defunct since 1945 - it remains unknown whether it will return again.

*Perry's Whole Sale Shop* has been an historic location in the village since 1941; upon its founding by a wholesale supplier (or 'Spiv') called David Perry, several residents found themselves able to get enough essential supplies, such as food and drink, to help them last through to the end of the Second World War.

The shop also had an underground bunker built beneath its floor since it opened - making it an ideal place for shelter during Air Raids (one such raid destroyed the Village Hall, which wasn't fully rebuilt again until after the war was over); it is currently undergoing repairs, following a recent dynamite explosion.

The parish of *St. Martin's Church* was established 835. AD, three years after Cheston Village was founded; its current cleric is the Reverend Arthur Norton - whose behaviour makes him stand out as a maverick amongst the Clergy, as he prefers to inspire those who attend his sermons to believe in "what makes them feel confident in themselves", and enlightens people to important discoveries that have been made because of science and practicality.

One of the more popular venues of the village is *The White Swan -* a pub established in the 16th Century (it was a tavern, originally); Tony Black serves as the current landlord, and - when he's not busy tending the bar - he can be found turning off the stereo that would often give ambiance to the pub on most days, instead playing an old piano passed down to him from his father, singing lively, jaunty songs with accompaniment from (almost) everyone else who happens to be there at the time.

Before it was bombed in an air raid, and subsequently rebuilt after World War II, the Village Council - currently led by Mayor Jameson - would always use the Hall for Meetings, Committees, plays (as performed by the village's Am-Dram Theatre group), car boot sales, stalls, parties and the Annual Food Festival in Springtime (even though it is sometimes also held on the High Street)

The 2018 Food Festival involved Billy Butterbread hosting the Festival, while it was broadcast nationwide across Great Britain, and turned out to be most eventful.

Several of the villagers all reside on Broadwalk Avenue - so-called because of its long, wide, straight appearance. From 2017 to 2019, this included Billy Butterbread (at No. 41) and Jean Phelps (No. 39) - the latter residing in the property previously rentedby Mrs Dewsbury, until she moved into a retirement home on the far side of Cheston.

Ryan Thompson continues to live at No. 41, Broadwalk Avenue as its sole resident.

Mister Snoutnose was the landlord for both propertires, as well as No. 37, and would often stress his tenants for due rent money - only for Mister Glumdrop (Snoutnose's own landlord) to eventually lay claim to managing the properties himself, until they were all bought out by Billy Butterbread (following a knighthood) in 2019.

Cheston lies South of Virginia Water and West of Ascot, with its only accessible routes in and out of the village somewhere along the M25 and the A30.

## Residents (as of 2020)

* Billy Butterbread
* Ryan Thompson
* Mister Snoutnose
* Mayor Greg Jameson
* Derek Jameson
* Robert Jameson
* Mrs Dewsbury
* Max Dewsbury
* Sergeant Rasmus Bottomley
* Sergeant Janet Worthing
* Det. Inspector Harry Grant
* Jennifer Grant
* Lucy Grant
* Kate Grant
* Dee Livery
* "Skinny" Flint Perry
* Percival Poundspend
* Tony Black
* Reverend Arthur Norton
* Angus McCall, M.D.
* Butch Jackson
* Adam Bowler
* Rufus McCoy
* Nannette Newton
* Tom Miller

## Trivia

* When a core setting was first needed for *The Adventures Of Billy Butterbread*, the London District of West Drayton was originally chosen; however, it became clear to the series' Writer/Creator that a blank slate was needed, to allow more creative freedom for the Characters and Stories - thus resulting in the creation of Cheston Village, which draws inspiration from fictional settings in other series - such as Walmington-On-Sea in the BBC Sitcom *Dad's Army*, or the Island of Sodor in the children's television show *Thomas & Friends* (and its source material, *The Railway Series*).