Little Harrowden, Northamptonshire

The Red Lion Isham

We bought our house in 1968, it is almost opposite the Red Lion. The landlord at the time was Mr. Fred Nobles who was my wife's uncle, and we believe he had been landlord from about 1955. The pub still had an orchard at that time with Gents toilets "up the yard". One of the most talked about clients was the Lion from Wellingborough Zoo who visted the pub and stood with his front paws on the bar while partaking of some liquid refreshment. Fred continued as landlord until I think 1978, when the pub was taken over by Mr. P. Stanbrook.
Mrs. Hilda Cheney was still living with her husband Jack in Langton Place, and every washday would walk across the A 509 and hang her washing out on a line on the Motar Pits which was common land.

The Old Red Lion

I was born in the above pub in  1940. My grandmother Mary Jane Abbot used to run it and there was an old skittle alley in the bar. I was born in the room above it. The pub used to have an old rose garden, an orchard and a small car park, a pet pig [Sally] and I used to help pull the pints aged 3 in the bar. There was an old boy called "Champ" who used to tease me all the time, telling me "You've got your Mam's ribbon on" or some such nonsense. Another esteemed customer was a Mr Fort. My uncle Colin was a fine jazz piano player  and played in the pub [where he lived with Mary Jane] until he married in about 1950. The rose garden and the skittle alley have gone now. I used to play in the fields of corn, and we spent Christmas there most years when I was a child. I adored it all and still miss it. A lady who worked for my Nan was Hilda Cheyney; I used to call her "Neney". She entertained the visiting vicar or preacher every Sunday. [She was chapel but we were Church] and if I was very good she let me climb into the corner cupboard and get the sweet jar out!The turkey was baked in the ancient bakers oven over the road. The baker used to let many of the villagers use it then. My cousin and her family still lives nearby in Wellingborough and other cousins live in Kettering. My family name was Watson and if anyone remembers my Mum Eileen Abbott or her husband Chris Watson, please get in touch.

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.