Higham Ferrers memories
Here are memories of Higham Ferrers and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Higham Ferrers or a Higham Ferrers photo.
Higham Ferrers, Market Square
My family lived on the Market Square for many years from 1946. I have many happy memories of Higham and looking at the photos on this site bring them flooding back. My sister, brother and I started at the local school. I remember being sent to Battersby's (the grocer at the end of the Market Square) and, having got there, I had usually forgotten what I had been sent to buy! I was too shy to own up so I used to buy something else! I also remember buying sweets and ice cream from Pashler's. Since it was just after the War, and rationing was in full swing, we could only buy a quarter of sweets, which came out of big jars. My father was the local GP so we always had a car, and later we had a caravan which we used for holidays. In those days caravans were rare and people used to wave to us. Every year there was a carnival and I remember being Alice in... Read more
My New House
We have just bought a cottage here in North End and I am immersing myself in the wonderful history of the place. It looks nearly the same as it did all those years ago. Does anyone know when these cottages were built? I am like a sponge wanting to soak up as much information as I can. I love my home and know that we will be so happy here. My children are now making their own memories which will be cherished forever.
Memories of Northamptonshire
R.A.F. Service
I was stationed at Melchbourne 1948/49 and used to visit the Temperance Cafe in the High Street. I would like to know more about Melchbourne House after it was handed back. When I was there it was in a dreadful state of repair. I would think it must now be a grand house again. During the war I think the Americans were there as they were also at Chelvestone and Yelden. Any information I would appreciate. Ken Horton
Summer Holidays
I've put 1980s down, but my memories of Rushden go back to the 1970s, my grandad ran the Works Dept in Newton Road for years and lived in the tied house attached to the Fire Station. I spent the whole of my summer holidays there in the 1980s, visiting the Feathers, King Eddy and various other pubs with them, and I learned to swim in the outdoor pool (we don't have them in Scotland for obvious reasons!). I also had great times with friends in the Birch Road area, listening to 'Ghost Town' by the Specials. Precious memories, as my mum grew up there and was married to my dad in St Mary's Church, she however followed my dad to Scotland and that is where I still live today. Have Google-earthed Rushden and I think I could still find my way about.
Kettering Tyres Ltd
I joined Kettering Tyres in Newton Road in the late sixties, as assistant to the late Cedric "Tiny" Guilford - "Tiny" was a larger than life character in every way - twenty-odd stone and with a personality to match. The Socialist Minister for Transport , Barbara Castle, had just introduced a new law requiring tyres to have a minimum depth of tread - our problem then was not selling tyres but being able to get them in the first place - and every morning I would detour in from my home in Kettering to the company Head Office in Wellingborough to try and fill my elderly Hillman Husky estate car with whatever tyres were available!
The Rookery
The parade of shops situated on the right was once the site of a large house called The Rookery, we lived at the Rookery from 1956 -1962. This adjoined the old Procea Products factory where my father worked for many years as a lorry driver/mechanic. Procea was famous for making slimming bread. The Rookery was owned by Procea and split into 3 houses, (we lived in the centre house), Jack Thomsons (manager at Procea) had some of the rooms and the Brailsford (dentist) family had the house closest to the factory. Sadly The Rookery was pulled down in the mid-60's. The house was grand with large windows and very high ceilings. Today The Rookery would have been a listed building and saved for future generations to enjoy. The 60's have a lot to answer for in building terms, the shops which now occupy the old Rookery site do nothing for the high street except perhaps making a little more room as the Rookery was situated nearer to the road, even... Read more
The Bull
This scene in 2008 looks almost exactly the same as it did in 1969. Further down (out of sight of this picture) many changes have taken place. George Burton's papershop is now a pizza parlour (didn't even know what a pizza was in the early 60s!). Duncan's Chemist shop (famously made of wood) has been demolished, oh how as a youngster I drooled as I looked in his shop window at those wonderful blue and white striped Dinky toy boxes containing every car and lorry in miniture' Even when we were ill it usually meant a dollop of Lucozade (lovely stuff) from Duncan's. I can still remember the long glass bottle with a screw top and that wonderful transparent amber coloured wrapper which I can still hear to this day! It still amazes me as a feat of advertising and product image that during my childhood Lucozade was meant to aid recovery from illness and yet today it is targeted at fit athletic people. Mr Duncan always wore a crisp,... Read more
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