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Northampton
Northampton photos
Displaying the first of 85 old photos of Northampton. View all Northampton photos
Northampton maps
Historic maps of Northampton and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Northampton maps
Northampton area books
Displaying 1 of 8 books about Northampton and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Northampton
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Northampton.
There are 17 shared memories to read.
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The Gayways Pop Band Venue,Northampon
Does anyone remember the Gayways club in Northampton, High Street? I used to go there to see pop bands like Dave Dee, the Hollies and numerous other rock and pop groups! It had nothing to do with actually being Gay, it was just the name of the venue...oh times have changed. I think it was run by a man called Stan and his wife, the building was very dark and full of hidden rooms, to hide in and kiss the girls. This venue was the place to be and attended by lots of old style rockers and a claim to fame was that the Beatles played there too! I had a great time there and it was important in the growing up process for a 15-16 year old. I called at the site recently and it's an Italian restaurant now!
Not so Happy Memories
My brother and I were evacuated from London to Northampton for about ten months during WW2. We lived in Alma Street, me at No:21 with an elderly aunt and uncle, my brother at No: 40. I remember the meadows at the bottom end of Alma Street, the park with a stream running into a river, a cinema on the corner by the railway, I think it was called the Roxy? Opposite the top end of Alma Street was a church with a school next door which we both attended. As 'London kids' we were always sat at the back of the class, and moved from one class to another. Occasionally milk was handed out in mugs, we had to wait until last, sometimes there was none left so we went without. There were bomb shelters in the playground. - The school appears on Google Street Maps but looks as if it is boarded up? I remember the next road to Alma Street, I don't remember the name, had a police station... Read more
The Haunted School
One of Northampton’s now-lost buildings is seen on the right of this photograph, the old Notre Dame High School which was built in 1871 as a school and convent run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. A former teacher at the school was believed to haunt the building. The ghost was only seen from the knees up, and it is believed that the floor level of the hall that she walked across had been raised since the teacher’s death. The school has now been demolished and replaced with shops and offices.
Now
That building to the left on the top of Gold Street is now H Samuel. The famous point of the elderly woman who won an award for Britain's Pride when she witnessed a burglarly and hit them with her hand bag. I worked on the right-hand side of Gold Street where that background building jutts out, corner of College Street in Quicksilver between 2003 and 2008.
Margaret Durden
My daughter's great aunt lived at Nazareth House in Northampton and died there a spinster in the 1970s. I have contacted them several times but have never got a reply. The lady's name was Margaret Durden and she was a servant all her life after leaving the workhouse as a teenager. I'd love to find out more about her. Does anybody recognise her name?
LODGING IN LINGS
I worked for a company called Biwater. They had a contract at Broadholme sewrage treatment works near Rushdun. I had lodgings with a family in Lings, John and Margaret Conway. John was originally from S. Wales. He worked at Avon cosmetics, Margaret worked at Tescos, Western Faval. It was like home from home. We'd sometimes go to the nearby pub for a drink, The Sportsman. Every Wed. I go to the Crown and Cushion on the Wellingbourgh Road. Opposite the pub lived a man who worked on the same site. His name was Ken Black and he was black. I'd call him 'Shabba' he'd call me 'Shabba Taff' we had many a good laugh. My wife was staying up with me after I was taken ill. We were in town and saw Ken, I called out 'hey blackman' and my wife tore a strip off me for doing so, Ken turned to her and said "hey woman, they call me coloured, he's got grey hair, blue eyes and a white... Read more
Calico Casa
Please reply to my private email H.m.west@btinternet.com and I can send you a picture. Your mother was a stunning girl with blond long hair.
Do You Remember?
I was born inNnorthampton in 1963, and I left Northampton in around 1981. I've seen a lot of changes in Northampton - buildings being pulled down etc.. roads now unrecognisable - a lot has changed to the town.I know we can't stand in the way of progress but it's a shame so many things from the past have disappeared forever and can never be replaced. If anyone has memories of Tralask, Dallington 1968 - Egerton House, Brackley 1974 - Hollyrood Hostel, Dallington, Northampton 1978. I was brought up in care from 1968 to 1981 and I'm searching, hoping to find pictures or information on Tralask - Lyndhurst - Egerton House - Hollyrood Hostel. Please send me an email, I'd be happy to receive any information you have.
