Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Northamptonshire

Swangate Centre

All the buildings on the left of the picture (nearly all Co-Op shops) were demolished to make way for the new Arndale Centre (now Swangate). Most of the local population still mourn the passing of this part of the old town. The public house at the top of Midland Road was The Old Kings Arms (this became Jones the furnishers and then a carpet shop)

The Lyric Cinema

The Bedford O Type lorry is delivering fruit & Veg and belonged to Mackness Produce (a local firm) on the right is the old 'Cosy Cafe' which I remember 'doing' a great toasted tea cake and cup of tea. The Co-Op buildings are farther down (I bought my first 'stereo' hi-fi system from there on HP) I remember the Co-Op having an island shop window (you could walk all around it) it always facinated me as a young lad. Lower down the street was the Lyric cinema, The Lyric was always a cut above the Palace cinema in terms of decoration, on Saturdays they held a matinee which featured a live local group and cartoons, kids from Wellingborough all wore the famous ABC club badge. It was a fiasco playing to these kids (I should know...I did it !!) one got pelted with sweets and pennies, for anyone that can't remember our old currency, pennies were large and heavy....and hurt. Above the actual cinema was a club known as the Lynton Hall Palais, no alchohol was served here but yet again live music was the order of the day. I will always remember a drummer in a modern jazz band who would regularly turn up for the gig dressed in a smart shiny suit but wearing tartan carpet slippers with eyelets (the type your granny wore), apparently he could only play drums wearing this strange footwear. (I would be grateful to hear from any readers who remember his name) I feel sure his name was Leon. Many well known bands started their careers playing at 'The Palais' THE SYN' (later to become famous as YES) and JOE COCKER, Joe was from Sheffield (a gas fitter I believe) at the time of his appearance he had his first single out. The Lyric along with The Palais were reduced to rubble in the early 70's to make way for the new Arndale Centre (now known as The Swangate) we lost so much of Wellingborough's character when all these buildings were lost as did many other towns. On the left of the photograph is now the Post Office, a very 60's looking building, it survives today.

The Palace Cinema

The pub on the left of the picture was renowned for a few brawls in it's time, originally called The Globe (now known as Raferty's) I recall walking down Cambridge St and seeing a man being hurled through the window into the street. The United Counties Bristol bus is parked outside the old Palace Cinema (better known by locals as the 'flea pit') These were the days of ice cream ladies in the interval, watching films through a haze of cigarette smoke and plastic orange drink cartons being squashed noisely to be followed very quickly by a cinema usher shining a torch in your face and escorting you off the premises.The Palace was renowned for having seats situated behind columns that supported the upper circle, as the actors crossed the screen one would have to dodge the columns (so to speak) to observe the action. At the end of every film show the national anthem was played accompanied by the sound of fold up seats banging open. The Palace was very handy for the bus home, the bus stop was right outside the exit doors. The last film I saw at the Palace was Star Wars in the 70's, it must have been a good film I went 3 times to see it again ! Today the Palace is no more, it has been converted to a public house serving food etc These days it's known as the Cutting Room. The room above the building is a snooker hall I believe. The road leading away in the distance shows another building this was a butchers shop at one time,later to become Park Road bookshop and now a tattoo parlour, the building to the right still survives today, during the 1950's this building was owned by Dexter's.

The Beatles

I remember 6th November 1963, The Beatles were playing at the ABC cinema in Northampton and word got around that the famous 'Fab Four' were staying at The Hind Hotel. The place was surrounded by fans hoping to get a closer look at John,Paul,George and Ringo....alas they were all deprived of this chance, not only were The Beatles not staying at the hotel but they were'nt staying at any local hotel !! Infact they played 26 minutes ending their performance with 'Twist & Shout' and as the national anthem was playing in the cinema they were making their getaway via a factory in St Michaels Road to be escorted by police back down the M1 to London ! Apparently no one in the audience heard a note of what they played over the screaming.