Bunty Bailey – One of our “Village People” –
Interviewer: What is your name?
Bunty: Bunty Bailey
Interviewer: Remembering the other “Village People” disco band of 1980s which one were you? (Which costume did you see yourself in?)
Bunty: Was there a hippy one? Or a casual jeans ‘n T shirt one?
Interviewer: How long have you lived in the village?
Bunty: I’ve lived here since I was eight, with a few breaks, like leaving home at 15 to live in London, and have a career. I came back about 25 years later with two small children, Jake & Felix.
Interviewer: Who do you live with (partner/children/parents/pets/plants etc)?
Bunty: My partner Doc
Interviewer: What was the first record (single,LP,tape or CD) you bought?
Bunty: Waterloo by Abba
Interviewer: What is your all time favourite film, and why?
Bunty: When I was younger I would have said Midnight Express, or A Star is Born, with Barbara Streisand. But now it would have to be a true story like Castaway or Captain Phillips, or something light like Pretty Woman.
Interviewer: What do you do to keep in shape?
Bunty: I started running a couple of years ago. I wanted to get healthier.
Interviewer: What is your all time favourite book and why?
Bunty: Wow! That’s a hard one! I recently loved The Rose Code by Kate Quinn, or Where The Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens.
Interviewer: Please tell us about your professional career
Bunty: I started having dance lessons when I was six, and then went to dance school full time when I was eleven, and left school at sixteen to be a dancer. I worked in many TV shows (Top of the Pops, Kenny Everett…) and joined Hot Gossip Dance Group aged sixteen. I worked in many pop videos AHA Take On Me is still played a lot, I loved making Wild Boys with Duran Duran, and Got To Be Your Lover with Billy Idol. I also enjoyed working in West End Shows, and various stage shows in Monte Carlo, Rome etc.
Whilst I was dancing, I was advised to “get on the property ladder”, which I did – I started by buying a house in West Hampstead at auction, which needed a lot of work, I converted it into two flats, one I rented out, the second I sold to finance the next project, and it grew from there.
Interviewer: If I had a magic wand, and you had one wish, what would it be?
Bunty: To stop the wars and feed everybody. But wouldn’t everyone want that… No, give me a magic carpet so that I can wish myself, and my plus 3, anywhere in the world, once we have world peace obviously!!
Interviewer: Describe your typical day, from the time you wake up, to the time you typically get to bed.
Bunty: I don’t sleep well, so when I wake up at 4 or 5am I get up and make a cup of tea, which I take back to bed, and then read on my phone – Messages, Emails, My days diary – planning my day, Then I usually meditate for about 10 minutes – I use an app called Calm.
After a coffee, I go for a run, usually either 5 or 10km, and then Doc and I play tennis. If there is a session going on at The Tennis Club, I will play there.
By now I’m obviously starving, so it’s lunch, and then paperwork for my tenants, managing the properties, organising maintenance etc. Then there is always housework, food shopping, gardening etc which would take me up to dinner.
Dinner and then maybe a film. I’m usually in bed by 9 or 10pm, unless we’re socialising, then maybe 11.00.
Interviewer: Where would your dream holiday be? & Why?
Bunty: I don’t really have a “Dream Holiday”, I really want to travel and explore everywhere. We travelled around New Zealand a few years ago, and I loved it. I’m not a fan of being herded on and off various forms of transport with loads of other strangers sight seeing, but prefer to explore at my own pace. We are going to Costa Rica next, and along the Panama Canal. My son is moving to Canada, which gives us a fantastic excuse to visit there a few times!
Interviewer: Presumably your achievement wasn’t all plain sailing, what was the low point?
Bunty: Where do I start??!! I think there is always a bit of aggravation when you are striving to achieve something, I lived in Los Angeles trying to be an actress, but failed, as a result of my inability to act, and my dislike of rejection, so after a couple of terrible films I came back to England with my ego bruised, but luckily got a job in a TV production office.
Interviewer: ..and the high point?
Bunty: Working with an amazing choreographer called Molly Molloy (she taught Arlene Philips), and having my gorgeous children.
Interviewer: What motivates you to keep going?
Bunty: Well I’ve retired, but I always keep busy, or else I would get bored.
Interviewer: Do you have a goal in sight, or specific metric by which you will achieve what you dreamt of…?
Bunty: No, not really. I try to live by my own values, and trying to keep healthy.
Interviewer: How important do you think it is that you are based in Wraysbury/Horton villages, has that affected your success?
Bunty: I just love it, the community is so important.
Interviewer: Do you have a message for your neighbours, friends and the wider local community?
Bunty: Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
Interviewer: Many thanks for giving us this insight into a fascinating life.
