Billingham has been established since 1973. Since that time, some of our customers have themselves gone on to open their own shops and become authorised retailers of Billingham. 

We were delighted when we asked for stories to celebrate our 50th year that Jason Regent, owner of 'Regent Tailoring' (in Salisbury, England), sent us his story.

I have long been an advocate for Billingham and bought my first Billingham bag over 20 years ago, it cost me somewhere around £300, which I saved up from my monthly wages.

Having recently returned from travelling in Australia, I was working as a manager at Repertoire, Salisbury. The shop no longer has a presence in on our high street - one of the many changes to the city over the last two decades.

At the tender age of 27, I bought the bag to serve its intended function - as a camera bag. I have always had a passion for photography so knew of Billingham for their excellent reputation.

In its lifetime, my bag has accompanied me on a number of photoshoots and has been borrowed by countless friends and family for the same purpose.

I have fond memories of riding around on my Vespa and my Triumph, with my Billingham secured on my shoulder. It's fully waterproof and so could survive any weather, keeping my equipment safe.

Jason Regent's Billingham Hadley Original

As I've gotten older, I've realised the versatility of my beloved bag and stopped using it exclusively as a camera bag.

I had the bag when I first started writing the business plan for my store, Regent, and formed the company. When visiting the bank, and viewing our premises for the first time, I had all the important paperwork tucked away in my Billingham.

And, it has continued to be a presence at Regent's formative moments. It accompanied me on my very first buying trips and often caught the attention of brand representatives, acting as a fantastic conversation starter and aiding me in getting those vital contacts in the early days.

My Billingham bag is incredibly special to me, it's been there through all the highs and lows of establishing and running Regent as a business and as a brand. And it continues to form an integral part of my daily work attire.

Billingham's story is an inspiration to me - a couple who founded a business in their kitchen, working tirelessly in their spare time and this discovering that their product fulfilled a niche in the market and going on to create a hugely successful brand known all around the world!

Regent was one of the first businesses that bought Billingham's Leisure Range. At the time this was quite an exclusive privilege, only taken up by other heavyweights such as Selfridges and Harrods.

One of my favourite things about Billingham is that despite their worldwide distribution, they remain a UK-based, family-owned business. Their bags are exceptional quality and are designed to last for many years. They fit well with the Regent ethos to buy well, buy once.

I've had my Billingham bag for over 20 years and I will pass it on to my kids, if they don't pinch it from me before then!

Regent is proud to be a stockist of Billingham Bags for their reliability and security. I often use my own story and experience of the product as a testament to their superb quality.

Jason, Regent

The bags pictured were in stock at Regent at time of writing. If interested in a particular model/colour though we'd always advising ringing them before travel.

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