The Wellingborough Post, 4th June 1886, transcribed by Kay Collins

DIVIDEND DECLARED—A dividend of 5s. in the £ has been declared, re William Spencer, house decorator, painter, &c., Wellingborough-road.

FAILURE IN THE SHOE TRADE—Mr. Charles Maddison, shoe manufacturer, Wellingborough-road, Rushden, has failed to the extent of about £25.

The bakers here have reduced the price of bread from 4½d. to 4d. per quartern loaf.

THE NEW BANK—The handsome new Union Bank has this week been opened for business.

WE have received a communication from Mr. Andrew Groome giving his version of the recent dispute between himself and the Co-operative Society, but as the question has been settled, we do not think it necessary to re-open the matter.

Bankruptcy Cpurt: Re George Clayton, 42, Glasbrook-road, and 5, Church-street, Rushden, stationer and newsagent. Examination closed without further questions being asked.

An Unwelcome Visitor entered Messrs Edwards and Son’s china shop, High-street, in the shape of a pig, which was being driven along the street towards the church. The lady in charge discreetly withdrew, while a lad with a broom unsuccessfully endeavoured to repel the invader. Then the drover got to work, and after the pig had done a little damage it was coaxed by means of the man’s cudgel to the right path. Even then its porkship was not satisfied, for it evidently wished to thoroughly inspect Messrs Cave’s factory. Its efforts were in vain, however, and after it had visited Mr C G Ward’s store-room and seen the bacon flitches it seems to have sobered down.

Charles Reynolds, who manages the Raunds branch of the thread-sewing business of Mr. Northern, of Rushden, said he noticed on Friday night. January 17th, that the key of the workshop was missing, and consequently fastened the house ….

Rushden Echo Friday, March 11, 1921, transcribed by Sue Manton

The Death occurred yesterday of Mrs. Mary Ann Dunkley, widow, aged 78, of 28 Pemberton Street. Mrs. Dunkley will be remembered as having for many years kept a sweet and general store now occupied by Mr. C. Bennett.

First Ice-Cream for Two Years
Rushden Shop Sells Out in 20 Minutes

Ice-cream in November has never been so popular as at Rushden last Friday afternoon.

The first on sale in the town for over two years, it was offered at a Church-street shop in the afternoon, and drew so many eager customers that a long queue formed half an hour before the shop opened.

People price-conscious when it comes to sales

How many times has that magic sign “Sale Reduced Prices” lured people into a shop and caused them to spend more money than they ever intended? The sales at Rushden are drawing to a close, and the “Echo” decided to visit some of the shops concerned and test the reactions of shopkeepers and customers.

“It is a fact that people spend more in sales,” a reporter was told at Flavell Hart’s, the High Street drapers and outfitters. “The sale really attracts. Many people will come into the shop just because there are reduced prices, to see if they can pick up a bargain.

The weather had made a difference to their sale. Before the sale takings had been down, but now things were looking up.

Successful

Mr. G. W. Hyde, of Hyde's Shoe Shop, said: “This has been one of the most successful sales I have ever held. I am practically clear of all my old stock. You can be sure that when there is a bargain people will buy the extra pair to go with it.”

H. Wills and Son, High Street radio and television dealers, reported the selling off of three-quarters of their sale stock through a “five shillings reduction in the £” sale.

“People are very price conscious, and want quality and the best possible value at competitive prices. This reduction method is proving very successful,” said Mr. R. Wills.

At Rose’s Fashion Centre Ltd, the assistants told us that while it was hard work planning and getting the shop ready there was nothing to touch the atmosphere once the sale got under way.

“People have just poured in,” it was stated.

One elderly woman said she had never bought anything at the sales. She said she did not think there were any real bargains to be had.

Another, Mrs. I. Smith, of Denmark Road, said: “There are bargains at the sales, but you have to be there early if you are to get any of them. I had some this year, but I had to be at the shop as soon as it opened.”

The sales will very soon be over, and shops will be busy taking in new autumn stock.

But even if you have missed your bargain this year, don’t worry. The January sales will soon be here.

Cost of living variations - Thrift and Shopping

The cost of living at Rushden varies by shillings according to which shops the housewife prefers to take her custom. A reporter, who visited grocery shops in High Street, was surprised to find that certain branded goods – such as coffee – varied by as much as 1s 1½d between stores.

Comparing the prices of certain groceries which are always high on shopping lists she found on Monday that the most inexpensive butter remained stable amongst most of the shops – Fine Fare, James Bros and Anthony Jacksons – at 1s 9d for half a pound, although some shops were charging 1s 9½d.

Tea varied in price according to the blend. In one shop tea previously priced at 1s 9d a quarter, had been cut to 1s 4½d. Another shop had its own special blend which was priced at only 1s a quarter.

Large tins of canned peaches were priced at most shops at 2s 6d but in other shops peaches canned by different firms were price at 2s 3d and 2s 4½d. A certain make of cream crackers, usually priced at about 1s 1d have been cut in price at all shops our reporter visited. The cheapest were selling for 9½d a packet.

Own Make

Some stores had their own make of flour, and this was generally cheaper than the well-known branded makes varying in price from 1s 1½d to 1s 8d.

Washing powder, too, varied from 2s 11d – the more popular price – to 3s 2d. One Rushden store was also offering cut prices in chickens. A four pound bird which would have sold for 13s 3d a few days before, had been reduced to 10s 8d.

Gloom in Rushden High Street

The chairman of Rushden Urban Council, Mr. R. H. S. Greenwood, told members of Rushden Chamber of Trade this week that the street lights in the High Street were extremely poor. “I think they are a disgrace,” he said.

Mr. Greenwood continued: “they were wished on us by the Ministry and if shopkeepers switched their lights out you would not see anything at all. We are getting on to them for something better. We deserve something better.

In fact, at last month’s Rushden council meeting the Highways and Planning Committee decided that Northamptonshire County Council should be told of the urgent need for improvements to the High Street lighting.

It seems ironic that Rushden’s only comprehensive shopping street should be dimly lit when probably the ugliest street in town, Rectory Road should be brilliantly lit by comparison.

A survey showed that when all the lights are working there are 31 in the High Street – 17 on one side of the road and 14 on the other.

But there seems to be no regular pattern between the lights, some are separated by a few feet, others by several yards.

The lights are fixed on brackets high on walls consisting of one and two five feet tubes. Most small offices – and certainly most shops – have twice as many tubes of greater length to light much smaller areas.

The inefficiency of the present street lighting is not so obvious at the moment, due to the fact that Rushden and Higham Ferrers District Chamber of Trade’s Christmas street lighting scheme is working. But even with this addition the illuminations hardly come up to street lighting standards.

If local shopkeepers switched off their lights, driving on sidelights would be highly dangerous.

30 Made Redundant at Factory
More than 30 people were made redundant this week at the Rushden factory of Taylor-Woodrow-Anglian on the Sanders Lodge industrial estate. This follows the company’s statement that a staff reduction was inevitable due to a lack of suitable local authority orders for industrial building.

A company spokesman declined to comment on rumours that the Rushden factory was due to close completely in the future.