Jackie, thanks for the response. Any others out there?

Billings sounds as though it may be named after a person (that word again) rather than a "back in the old country" town. There is no Billings in Europe - there's a bold statement! Nevertheless the person's name obviously derives from old Billa and his folk.

Thanks also for the marvellous link - I am amazed that at 4.00am they were sober enough to write it whilst at the same time being drunk enough to write it!

dxb.