General Chat

Aww hey that wiz sneaky Tracy... aye leaving me wi all the abusive ... offending messages LOL

Well hello ladies... this is me just in.... for the first time... I didnt say a word.... it wasnt me.... Shaz x

ok I deleted have fun folks Christine x

Well I think I should nip off and feed my tribe... LOL I still havent been to bed... since I got out of it at 8.30am yesterday! I am shattered... LOL Shaz x

Shaz I was 6 when we moved to Northampton. My parents had both grown up just outside Towcester and moved away in 1948/49 only to return to the town in 1956. It was a lovely place in those days, with a thriving boot & shoe industry, a twice-weekly cattle market where Morrisons(?) is now, and a bustling community generally. I grew up in Weston Way which runs parallel to Wellingborough Road between old Weston Favell village and Abington Park. The last housing development to the east at that time was the Westone Estate, and it was open countryside all the way to Wilby. There was nothing beyond the Queen Eleanor pub to the south, and no houses between Rothersthorpe Road and Rothersthorpe village. Notre Dame School was in Abington Street, Peacock Way wasn't built, and Anglia Building Society owned all the building on the corner of Abington Street and the Mounts which was later sold off in part to Radio Northampton. Ex-hubby's best man farmed the land which is now Brackmills. I suddenly feel ancient - I realise that the M1 hadn't been built either! Time to move on ... it's 2005 !!! Sue

Hi Jessbow I used to swim there in the 60s - and skate on Abington Park lake. Do you remember the two cooling towers at Midsummer Meadow or had they been razed to the ground by the time you arrived in N'pton? S

J - Do they still put a Christmas tree on top of the lighthouse like they used to in the Express Lift days? I used to teach their (and others) YTS trainees at Nene College, but of course even that has changed, hasn't it. Sue

Jess - How ridiculous!! Will catch up with you again! Thanks for the nostalgia trip. Sue

Hi Sue are you still about?

Hi Shaz Just reappeared for a minute or two - will be about on and off this evening, and tomorrow! Sue

Hiya Sue I'm the same... in and out.. LOL What college did you teach at was it the one on boughton green road?

Hi Shaz Boughton Green Road was known as Park Campus at the time (Moulton Park) but I taught at Avenue Campus (St George's Avenue), which is also where I did a secretarial and business studies course in 1966 when it was known as Northampton College of Technology. At that time there was a huge Boot and Shoe Department, vast Engineering workshops where British Timken, Daventry Engineering, Express Lift etc apprentices trained, and oh so many other trades. I taught sec and office studies there in the 80s, but did the Cert Ed at Avenue Campus. Sue

Shaz - Were you in Duston when Manns Brewery site was still functioning? I worked there in the late 70s. Sue

Sue... both Park and Avenue Campus make up University College Northampton now so even that has changed :-) I have only lived in Duston for 4 years, I lived in the Town Centre before that. I didnt come to Northampton until 1979 when my parents marriage broke down and was only supposed to stay here for a short time as I was going to go back to Glasgow and live with my Gran but I seem to be stuck here... LOL Me from Glasgow and my better half from Stirling! Shaz x

Just think Shaz, we would have been neighbours! On second thought bet your glad you moved South LOL Christine

We might even have gone to the same school Christine :-) It was all arranged the school and everything then Gran backed out :-( Shaz x

Do you know what, I saw this thread and thought noooooo not another one leaving (in 2 weeks lol). DOH ! You're right though, it's been much nicer.

LOL Paul... nah I am not going anywhere!! Who'd want to leave?? This place is Great :-) Shaz x

Hi Shaz 1979 seems a lifetime away. Presumably you'll stay there now? I couldn't remember what the College is called now, although I still get cards from some of the retired staff who bring me uptodate every Christmas. It got its University status a couple of years after we moved away. My goddaughter is currently in her final year there. Mum still lives in Park Avenue North and my mother-in-law is in the nursing home built on the site of the old Manfield Shoe Factory along Wellingborough Road. We come up periodically, but Mum tends to come down here instead. It's nice to reminisce once in a while, so thanks to you, and to Jess, for allowing me to do so! Sue

No Probs Sue... I'll stay here now until the children are all grown up and then I'll go back to Scotland :-) My eldest lad is at the Uni too he is in his first year and he is doing a joint and combined which takes him to both Campus' which is strange for him as he went to Kingsthorpe Upper school or Kingsthorpe community college as its now known.. and also Kingsley Park Middle so he is still going next door to both :-) My next son down is at moulton College in his first year! Shaz x