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Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough photos
Displaying the first of 11 old photos of Irthlingborough. View all Irthlingborough photos
Irthlingborough maps
Historic maps of Irthlingborough and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Irthlingborough maps
Irthlingborough area books
Displaying 1 of 8 books about Irthlingborough and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Irthlingborough
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Irthlingborough.
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or of a photo of Irthlingborough.
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
Northamptonshire memories
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.
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
Duke of Wellington
My aunt and uncle used to run the Duke of Wellington Public house, Hazel (nee Austin from Irthlingborough) and Bill Forscutt, previously they ran the Bell in Little Addington for a few years. Bill died some years ago but in 2007 Hazel is still going strong.
Duke of Wellington
My wife Gail and I had our 2nd son born at the 'Duke', we were licencees for about 3 years till around the end of 1980. We met some great people and have good memories. I wonder what happened to 'Johnny and the Jailbirds' ... and would love to know what happened to Maurice Middleton.
chrispresto23@hotmail.com we now live in Aussie..
Stanwick, The Duke of Wellington
My memory of The Duke is that this was the public house that I first ever got drunk in. I was 17 and had just joined up in the Army in Boy Service. That Christmas I was on leave and went with family friends to the Duke. I was told I was not old enough to drink and the friends said if I was old enough to wear a uniform I was old enough to drink. So the filled me up with Double Diamond Beer. It was Boxing Day 1958. People I remember being in the pub at the time were George Roast and Charlie Seamarks. I was born and bred in Stanwick, sang in the church choir, went to the local school, and had my hair cut by Jummy Morris.
