I was driving along Irchester Road towards the Oakley, and glanced to my right, and saw a sign on a shop door, announcing that it was closing down?

Another closure

D.B Shoes shop in Irchester Road calling it a day. Sad to read this of course, during late January, 2023.

So if you were looking for a really strong shoe making pedigree, you could not get much stronger than the name “Denton” in this area. If you take a look back in their family history you can start to appreciate their lifestyle during the early part of the 20th century.

They certainly had numerous motor cars in the early days of motoring, with such vehicle registration number plates as BD 1272, BD 502 and BD 2119.

Northamptonshire vehicles did carry the letters NV and BD before that tradition was dropped.

The majority of post-war car numbers incorporate a three letter code (not that car ownership was by any way universal) where this was the case, letters 2 and 3 signify the location code.

So, for instance, a car with the registration number 638 GBD or TBD 512D would be a Northamptonshire-issued number. A car with just two letters, ie BD, would also be from this area.

My late father had a Ford Popular 103E,with the number plate displaying KNV 342, powered by a 1172 cc side valved engine, pushing out a miserly 30 BHP, (Brake horse power), with three forward gears. And sadly no heater in the 1950s family car market.

Since 1846 the Denton family has been a vital part of the shoe trade in Rushden, and like some others have been importing stock from abroad. No doubt you have seen the large articulated vehicles being shunted around in to Glassbrook Road, to offload their cargo in to the warehouse?

Factory offices	Time running out

An announcement by the company stated, “Design, customer services, quality control and warehousing will remain at its historic Rushden site”: this was previously used by “Eaton and Co.” in Irchester Road.

I visited in the final few days of operation, and was kindly given permission to take internal shots of the remaining stock.

The factory shoe shop closed on Saturday 21st January, 2023.

Last few pairs	Limited stock

Mac’s shoe repairs and key cutting has gone too from 45 High Street, after numerous years of trading. [key cutting now in Thing'emy Jigs at 22]

One mile down the road at Rushden Lakes, “Paperchase” has gone in to administration, and is has closed down.  Paperchase online and UK Paperchase stores are now all closed, but you can buy their products in Tesco stores.

Along Wellingborough Road, the sandwich shop in the former Calland and Holtom building has gone now. And the space has been filled by a tanning salon, a much needed establishment I am sure?