Midland Road c1950, Wellingborough
Midland Road c1950, Wellingborough Ref: W279025t
Memories of Midland Road c1950, Wellingborough
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)
Wellingborough & local memories
Read and share memories of Wellingborough and Northamptonshire inspired by Frith photos.
Life in Wellingborough After The War
My family moved to 121 Midland Road during the winter of 1946 as my father worked in a local paint factory till 1948. There was a huge monkey puzzle tree in the front garden. I was 7 and my sister was 10. We loved that house. We used to belong to the Boots Booklovers library in the town and were allowed to go and change our books on our own. I remember going to the Wellingborough Zoo for special occasions and can still see the polar bear walking to and fro along his cage. We used to collect conkers from the park near our house and give them to our dad for his work, as they needed them to extract the oil for their paint. Our milk was delivered on a horse and cart and poured into jugs at the front door. We kept it in the pantry during the winter and scalded it in the summer, which gave a thick creamy crust for our cornflakes. We had brought a... Read more
Wonderful Wellingborough in my Early Informative Years!
I lived in Wellingborough from 1952 to 1971. My Father was J N Clark, and with my Mum owned and ran the General Store on Weavers Road until 1960. Mum and Dad took me to see my first film at the Silver Cinema on Silver Street sometime around the mid fifties. The film was 'Peter Pan'. I don't recall much about the inside of the cinema except that, looking back now, it was probably quite small. The outside of the cinema was painted white and, as I recall, seemed to have a large arched portico. I really miss those wonderful days. When I return from time to time to the old town I am not at all impressed with the changes made to modernise the town centre and surrounds.
Stan
Polar Bear
Wellingborough Zoo had the saddest Polar Bear I have ever seen. Its enclosure was roughly three times the size of the bear and its pool was hardly bigger than a bath tub. Even as a small child, I knew this was cruel. It really upset me. Wendy Nicolle, nee March.
Carol Service
This church was home to Wellingborough High School's Carol Service. Every December we crocodiled down for two performances, afternoon and evening. We always enjoyed it and learned many new carols. We were conducted by Miss Thomas and were in the choir from the fifth form onwards. Wendy Nicolle, nee March.
High Days And Holidays
We were taken from Leicester on a Sunday School Outing to the Zoo Park. I have very little recollection of the place as I was quite little at the time! I do remember that we were given 'high tea' for which we were offered a choice of fish and chips or ham salad. I also remember being bought an embroidered badge which had on it a picture of a tiger with Wellingborough Zoo Park emblazoned across the top. It was only recently, as my work takes me into Wellingborough quite frequently, that it came to mind. I wonder when it closed down and where in the town it was situated.
When my Life Was Innocent And Care Free
I am an American and from 1959 to 1965 my family of seven lived on '9 The Drive', in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. We were there with my father who was a U.S. Airforce Seargent stationed in England. My fondest memories were of that quaint little town and all the wonderful places we frequented. The zoo and the park were my favorite places to go as a youngster. I am now 55 years old and it seems like yesterday when I first saw those wonderful penguins at the zoo or the beautiful white swans at Swanspool Gardens. It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered my mother and my siblings would scream in delight as we strolled through the zoo viewing all the wonderful collection of animals. I am currently working as an Aerospace Engineer at the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle in Florida. I am fast approaching retirement in a few months. My plan is to come back to England as soon as possible and revisit those... Read more
I Remember This Place
I remember my dad taking a photo of me and my two sisters at the foot of the statue back in 1962. It looks so much smaller now. What fond memories we had! I enjoyed feeding the swans as well as the little ducks. I am coming back one day. Even though I am an American, England has always been a big part of me.
ABC Lyric Cinema
I was the Chief Projectionist at the Lyric from approx 1957 until 1963 when I was appointed as Co Chief/Lighting Engineer at the new ABC Blackpool. The Manager at the Lyric was Mr Ron Crabb and when he moved to another ABC Cinema, Mr Ken Porter took his place. Ron Crabb and myself were featured on an edition of Down Your Way, the popular BBC Radio programme of the time. The cinema had a small but lovely little Compton organ which myself and the projection team restored and put back into pristine condition. Eventually it was broadcast four times: twice each by Trevor Willets and Reginald Porter Brown...both of whom were members of the ABC Team of touring organists. An Assistant Manager for many years was Noel Briggs, himself a fine organist. The organ was eventually removed and sold to Wellingborough Weavers Road school, and was restored for use in the School Assembly Hall, by the Music Master, Mostyn Burman. He actually made... Read more
Lyric
I was the Assistant Manager at the Lyric. We had a disco club upstairs. Saturday mornings were fun, and loud! My manager was Mr Ken Porter.
Pork Pie
Wellingborough locals always know this building as the 'Pork Pie' church.......for obvious reasons !
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.
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... Read more
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... Read more
Boys Swimming at Wilby Lido
From the mid thirties until the building of the new swimming pool in Wellingborough. After the war in the late forties, fifties and sixties, the boys of Wellingborough Grammar School regularly had swimming lessons and their annual swimming gala here. Is this a picture of a swimming lesson?
Singing in The Choir
My parents, Harry and Nancy were married in this Congregational Church and I was a Sunday School Teacher and sang tenor in the choir in the late fifties before going to university. It has a splendid organ with a triumphant tuba stop that David Jones the organist used to good effect in blazing out the melody over new harmonies in the hymn-singing.
I Helped Out at The Zoo
When I was still at school I went and helped out in the evenings and weekends at the zoo and one of my jobs was feeding the penguins.
Midland Hotel, Midland Road
My name used to be Sue Dear and I was born in the Midland Hotel. My family had been there for 4 generations - my Grandma was Grace Cook and she was the licensee. My aunt Sybil ran a Driving School from there called The Midland Driving School. I read Angela's account of living in Midland Road and I certainly remember the monkey puzzle tree in the front garden. Was your surname Tear - Angela? Also walking to school in the winter of 1946/7 - I started school at The Lindens in Midland Road, then going to The Acorn School (in the church hall) - then Victoria School and finally The Girls High School from 1951-6. The garden of the Midland Hotel backed onto the Cambridge Hotel and that was referred to as The Bunny Run by my family - re the American soldiers and the local girls. It was lovely reading about the home town of my childhood. What a mess the planners made of it - with... Read more
St Barnabas School
I went to St Barnabas school from 1950 until 1953, I have just found an old school photo from the above years. I can put names to some of the faces but could do with some help with the rest. Can anyone help?
