January 1948

Rushden LMS Station staff celebrated Christmas with the best “wagon-turning” performance in the Leicester district.  Positions of rival stations in the District League, which extended from Leicester to Luton, were determined by the average number of wagons received and their actual clearance.  Rushden had been second for several weeks but had displaced Leicester at the top.

None of the twelve men who fought at Rushden Windmill Hall revealed boxing as “the noble art of self-defence”.  They all chose or were drawn into a rugged style of fighting and science took a back seat.

Rushden Council was willing to re-open discussion with Higham Ferrers on the boundary question – but only on the 1944 agreement which Higham was alleged to have broken.

Wonderful progress was being made on the new 60,000 gallons water tower off Bedford Road, Rushden, and twenty weeks after operations commenced, men were at work 63 feet above the ground.

February 1948

John White Ltd sent 412,972 pairs of shoes abroad during 1947.  This was a ninth of the Nation’s total exported.

March 1948

New movements in Rushden could include a branch of the National Union of Townswomen’s Guilds.  Mrs M.V.Underhill, a staff organiser, spoke about the Union at the BTWA Hall.

When a two year old black and white Friesian bull ran amok and attacked a farm‑hand at Rectory Farm, Rushden, a young farm-worker jumped into the seat of a new farm tractor and dashed to the rescue.  The mechanical rescuer was George Makeham, 16 years old.  While he kept the bull at bay, another young farm-worker, Ronald Manning aged 20, dragged the man to safety.  The injured man, George Annis aged 57, was taken to Northampton Hospital with severe injuries to the body.

The fate of the proposed Rushden War Memorial Hospital was in the balance.  Whether or not the scheme would go through would depend on the success of a deputation which was to appeal to the Ministry of Health.

April 1948

Runners-up in the recent National Brass Band Championship area qualifier, Rushden Temperance Band followed their success by taking second prize in the Premier Section of the Leicester contest on Easter Monday.

Equipment members of the WVS and Red Cross presented a gym table and other exercising equipment to the Physiotherapy Centre in Griffith Street which was shortly to move to Rushden Home Hospital.

May 1948

Trains were marshalled at three stations in readiness for the outing to London of 2,165 John White employees and friends.  Four trains, each of eleven coaches equipped with tables, were scheduled for a service unique in the history of the Wellingborough to Higham Ferrers line.  Two were being marshalled at Wellingborough, one at Rushden and one at Higham Ferrers.

Mr T.W.Elliott, Superintendent of Rushden Swimming Baths, had his hands full during the holiday heat wave.  The baths kept a temperature around the 65 degrees mark and as many as three hundred were in the baths at the same time.

“The Three Musketeers” at the Ritz was proclaimed by every audience as a great achievement by Rushden Operatic Society – despite the fact that they were unable to borrow a white horse for D’Artagnan to ride – so he had to walk.  They were, however, able to borrow a white cat, Tommy, from six year old Linda Mead, to sit on the knee of Cardinal Richelieu in Scene One, Act Four in each show. At the end of the final show, Tommy’s present smelled like a kipper.

June 1948

The future of Rushden Hall was discussed by Rushden Rotarians at their meeting.  All organized bodies in the town had been asked to make their suggestions before July.

Members of Rushden’s newly-formed Chamber of Trade offered their advice to the Urban Council, regarding the proposed one‑way High Street.  They thought additional parking places and improved sign boarding would be a better solution to traffic problems.  Most High Street traders felt they would lose passing trade.  Mr H.Wills, wireless dealer, felt he was the only one in favour of a one-way street.  Newsagent Mr C.Robinson said there were arguments for and against.

Nine double-decker buses took the children of Windmill Club members to Whipsnade Zoo.  In spite of the rain the occasion was one of smiles.

The third Club Night at Rushden Swimming Baths was cold – so very, very cold.  Twenty members attended but it was not known how many went into the water.

Only one local person had visited Olympia and seen Signalman Jim Bugby of Rushden “doing deeds of daring on his motorbike”.

Rushden Trade Council approved the suggestion that Rushden Hall be utilised as a community centre, providing the Urban Council puts “the house in order” first.  It was felt that there was a need for small meeting rooms and for other cultural facilities in the town.

July 1948

The health and attendant social services which Rushden and Higham Ferrers had maintained for many years would take a lot of replacing when the National Health Act came into effect.

The Oxford Regional Hospital Board took over Rushden Home Hospital.  The intentions of the Board remained to be seen.

Five members of Rushden Town Bowls Club were in the Northants Bowls Team due to meet the South Africans.  They were W.Smith, R.R.Brown, A.Allebone, G.Fox and J.A.Harris.  Mr R.Knight, also of Rushden Town, was a reserve.

Twenty-three year old Gwendoline Mary Neal of 131 Glassbrook Road, who was blind, could make a sock in an hour on a machine installed in the back room of her home.  She could make four pairs of men’s ribbed socks a day.

Rushden baths was the most popular resort in the town during the heat wave.

August 1948

Mr H.W.Jackson, a local nurseryman, raised some 20,000 tobacco plants from seed, but threw the majority away.  He had set a few dozen Virginias, suitable for cigarette tobacco.  They were sturdy and three feet high.  Mr John Maddock, of Hall Avenue, grew five foot high Havanas for pipe-smoking enthusiasts.

Eleven year old Master K.Lovell, of Wollaston, operated a Punch and Judy Show which thrilled the children at the Fete and Sports organised by the Rushden Branch of the British Legion in the Hall grounds.

Thirteen year old Noel Thomas, who played third cornet in Rushden Temperance Band, was one of the youngest competitors at the National Brass Band Contest in the Albert Hall.  Even Bandmaster, William Scholes, prophesied “I think he will make quite a good cornetist in a year or two”.

September 1948

The Rushden Central Townswomen’s Guild held a very enjoyable whist drive at the Central Café.  Mrs A.U.Muxlow acted as MC and presented the prizes.

“Rations are a little skimpy” said Mr Reginald Cook, visiting Rushden from America, when asked to comment on conditions in Britain.  He had praise however for the National Insurance Scheme.

Munn and Felton’s Works Band were placed fifth and Rushden Temperance Band secured sixth place at the great Belle Vue Contest.  Competing against twenty‑five of England’s best brass bands, the county musicians gave extremely fine performances.

S.A.Lawrence, a Councillor and Headmaster of Alfred Street, died.  He had won great respect in the town as a Councillor who would not agree to anything and everything.  He was even more popular among teachers and scholars.  The children had lost a friend and the town a trusted servant.

Rushden Industrial Co‑operative Society was advertising new designs of ‘Utility’ furniture, including three‑piece suites in uncut moquette tapestry and in ‘Rexine’.

Dr D.G.Greenfield, of Rushden, declared that neglect by parents to tell their children the facts of life was a “bad and wicked thing”.  He addressed a Public Meeting in support of the Peterborough Diocesan Moral Welfare Association.

October 1948

A successful show, “Mixed Grill”, was presented before 350 people at the Rushden Co‑op Hall.  It combined music to suit all tastes and ended with an amusing one‑act play, “The Bears Nest”.  It was organised by May Knight, for YMCA funds.

A new industry for Rushden, the manufacture of cosmetics, was launched by the Kelro Chemical Company, in their Crabb Street factory.  They were new “Lady’s Maid” lines.

Rushden Urban Council was to receive a settlement of the Hall Grounds compensation, £10,985 from the Ministry of Health, to help towards its restoration following damage received during the use by military authorities.

The Council agreed to call a public meeting to find out if the town was really prepared to run a Community Centre at Rushden Hall after a poor response to a request for views on its future.

The large Pitsford Scheme, a great project for local water supply, was at the Parliamentary stage.  Objectors at a recent enquiry still had the right to object again.  If the order was finally approved, it would be about January before the engineers could get to work in earnest.  One estimate was that it would be five years before the county could expect water from Pitsford.

Cyril Stapleton and his broadcasting orchestra provided music for five hundred dance enthusiasts at Rushden Windmill Hall.

At Rushden Industrial Co‑operative Society’s Quarterly meeting, a dividend of 1s.8d. in the £1 was announced.

November 1948

H.E.Bates, the Rushden born author, was one of the principal guests at the annual dinner of Rushden Town Cricket Club.  He hoped that the Club would visit Kent to play a game with Little Chart, his own village side.

Hall Avenue was described as Rushden’s worst road, with potholes and ruts made worse by American lorries.  Fifteen paces from the top of Hall Avenue the road became a memory.  A barbed wire fence divided the “road” from the fields.

500 members of Windmill Club, Rushden, attended a Jubilee Dinner.  A similar celebration took place when another 500 members were present.

Mr R.R.Lawrence, the appointed headmaster of Alfred Street School, addressed a meeting of ex‑servicemen and their wives of the “Comrades’ Fellowship”.

Horses were being rapidly out‑moded at Rushden, but a few could still be found at the British Railways’ and Co‑operative stables.

“Forever Amber” was the film at the Ritz.  At the Palace was the “Flight to Nowhere”, and at the Royal Theatre, “Anna Karenina” was the main film.

December 1948

Rushden Temperance Band won the Northamptonshire Brass Band Championship at Rushden Windmill Hall, with 190 marks out of 200.

Schoolgirls from Rushden who attended a Speech Day at Wellingborough Girls’ High School walked five miles home along fog‑bound roads because of the dislocated bus service.

Rushden Urban Council decided that the town’s Civic Restaurant [originally British Restaurant] would have to be closed.  It was faced with a loss because the rent had gone up.  Due to the tendency for canteens to be provided at factories it was recommended that it should be closed at an early date.

There was a rumour that Knuston Hall would be obtained by the Youth Hostels Association.  It was the residence of the late Mr C.A.K.Green and years before had been occupied by the Arkwright family.

157 members of Rushden Central Townswomen’s’ Guild attended their first Christmas Party at the Masonic Hall.  One prize was a box of cosmetics from Canada which was won by Mrs P.W.Wills.

The infants at Alfred Street School, Rushden, found Father Christmas in jocular mood when he visited their tea party in the School Hall.  The Rev J.Boatright, curate of St.Mary’s Church, gave special and secret assistance.