The Lightstrung showroom and forecourt

As Checkpoint Motors c1970

Checkpoint Motors took over the garage at the foot of Church Street. In the 1960s there was much talk about creating a 'ring road' to ease traffic in High Street, which had alread become a one-way road in 1959. Rectory Road was used to create one part of the one-way, but calls were made to make Duck Street the other part of a circle around the town to ease use of the High Street just for through traffic. Wellingborough Road and Washbrook had also been suggested but both were already causing congestion due to parked cars.

This area was still known as 'The Lightstrung' as it was still the main stop for all the buses. In the 40s-60s there was a very busy bus service to Bedford, Northampton, Kettering and Wellingborough. Most of the routes went through the main villages, giving a wide range of local travel. Birch's bus ran a regular service up to London too.

Before this road work began it was decided to culvert the brook which ran along Duck Street, having flowed down from the Bedford Road area, through Hall Park, along Duck Street, under the railway track and through Spencer Park, on its way to join the Nene near Ditchford. Only the portion after The Greenway (former railway track) remains open.

A roundabout was to be constructed, so the area needed to be much widened. To enable this, the Adult School and Checkpoint Motors were both demolished.