Northampton

Read and share memories of Northampton and Northamptonshire inspired by Frith photos

Twentieth Century Club and Memories of bygone times

I was born in Northampton in 1940, and lived there until December 1953. Both my dad and mum were Northampton born and bred, but while my mum's family go way back in time in the area, my dad's family mostly originated from London. However, dad was fairly well known due to being in the local boxing club, and playing in the Northampton brass band. In any event, he married my mum in 1939, and was almost immediately called up, due to the war commencing. During the following war years, my brother Michael was born, (mid war baby), and my other brother David was the inevitable demob baby. When dad was demobbed, we had already moved into a house in Grafton Place ...read more here
Contributed by sydney claydon

Gwendoline Hodges

It is as if my grandmother Gwendoline Edith Hunt, nee Hodges, has ceased to exist. For years and through various forums I have searched for information about her and her family (Wooton locals....Horace and Ethel Hodges who lived at Resthaven Road for many years) yet have had no luck. She is listed as having died at the age of 30 in 1941 at Parkfield Avenue.
There is a bit of a sad tale, that she left 3 of her 4 children (one of which was my father) and put them on a bus to another relative, they were in foster care for many years. The other child, nobody seems to know what happened to her.
So many questions, unanswered due ...read more here
Contributed by Sheridan Davies

Memories of War - The Forgotten Casualties (1) -  by Patricia Bolter

I am entering these memories on behalf of my mother in law - Patricia Ross (nee Bolter)

Running to meet Dad, just a young man, in uniform for the first time coming home to show us in pride.  Providing for the family had been difficult, even tried sweeping snow.  I have listened to "The Little Boy That Santa Clause Forgot", could only cry "I don't want my Dad to go away" but what does a 4 year old really understand. We had watched Dad and Uncles dig a shelter in our yard and played getting into it quickly, it was dark and damp. Mum fell down the steps but we were "SAFE. Save The Children? What have we learned?  Fetching ...read more here
Contributed by Jane Ross

when young

goint to the Savoy Cinema to see and hear the Compton Organ, the cinema has now been bought by thr Jesus people & restored to its 1930,s decoration.
the name of Alan Ashton rings a bell, was he conected to the Savoy/ABC cinema years ago.
the town has altered quite a lot since those days of the 1940/50,s not as i like it these days.
i am in my late years now (75) but love the past.
Contributed by Brian Coward