|
January 1991
Ken Joyce, who with his brother Doug shared wrestling glories in the sixties, suffered a fatal heart attack while enjoying a round of golf.
Newton Road Junior School, once attended by local author H.E.Bates, produced a book entitled “Kids Sporting Heroes”. 21 pupils contributed items for it.
Notice was given of the closure of Risdene Old People’s Home. It had been adapted as a Home for the Aged in the fifties.
The R.A.T.S. pantomime was “Robinson Crusoe” and played at the Pemberton School.
February 1991
Neil Roberts of Alfred Street Junior School was sponsored to learn to swim. He donated the £100 raised towards a physio-therapy unit at the Rushden Memorial Clinic in Hayway.
Members of the Working Men’s Club in Griffith Street, were making plans to celebrate their 100 years birthday later in the year.
The Evening Telegraph announced they would donate weekly packages of the paper to servicemen in the Gulf War for its duration.
The silver key which had been given to Councillor James Paragreen in 1949 by the architects of Rushden Memorial Clinic was handed back to the Health Authority at an official ceremony.
The firm of John White’s was bought by Burlington International. There were serious concerns regarding the continued employment of the remaining workforce.
March 1991
Local doctors protested about the closure of the Crane Ward at Rushden Hospital. It provided care for the chronically sick.
Rushden Town Football Club’s secretary, Bernard Lake, defended the club’s decision to make himself and commercial manager Denis Prowse redundant.
It was reported that the Poll Tax for East Northamptonshire would be raised by 18.7%.
Part of Rushden High Street was closed to traffic for a trial period of one year. Local opinion was mixed.
April 1991
Pupils, teachers and parents of Whitefriars Junior School raised £1,274.85 for the British Heart Foundation with a sponsored skipping session.
More than 350 campaigners made a last ditch attempt to change the decision to close the Crane Ward at Rushden Hospital.
One hundred year old Elsie Crow celebrated her birthday at the Victoria Road Home, together with Rene Sergeant who had turned 100 at the beginning of the year.
The inaugural meeting of the Rushden & District History Society was held at the Free Gardeners’ Hall in Portland Road.
May 1991
Higham Ferrers “Pensioners’ Voice” asked the new Town Council to provide a bus to serve outlying areas.
Sub-standard facilities caused Rushden Town F.C. to be “sensationally” forced to give up their Premier Division status.
There was strong opposition to plans to use 2½ acres of the South End School’s playing fields for building.
Vandals smashed two ancient headstones as they rampaged through St.Mary’s churchyard.
Chichele Girls Choir plans for a visit to Spain were in jeopardy when a travel company failed. They were rescued by a local property developer.
June 1991
Secretary Arthur Harris said that a club meeting at Park Road Baptist Church, and which had been formed to continue friendships made by ex-servicemen, was facing closure as most of the original group of about 50 had died.
About 30 parents stopped sending their children to Tennyson Road Infants School following a rumour that a mother of two of the pupils had hepatitis B.
TocH was considering taking over the management of the Risdene Old People’s Home in conjunction with other local charities.
|
|
July 1991
Details of a multi-million pound scheme to develop the former Co-op site in High Street, Rushden, were revealed by the South Midlands Co-op.
An exhibition of memorabilia was staged to mark forty years of education in Chichele Girls’ School and Pemberton Boys’ School in advance of their merger in September.
Raiders stole £100,000 worth of shoes in a second major burglary in less than four months. Company bosses were counting the cost of the raid at Grenson Shoes, Upper Queen Street.
It was announced that a £30,000 plan to revamp Higham Ferrers Market Square would start in September.
Tribute was paid to Albert ‘Tim’ Timpson, a former carnival organiser who had died in June on carnival day, aged 91.
August 1991
A project to set up a home for up six emotionally disturbed children in property on Irchester Road, was defeated for the second time by the Councillors.
Skew Bridge Country Club hosted the British National and International Wet Bike Championship Finals.
Eric Sharpe of St.Mary’s Avenue, a diabetic since the age of twelve, reckoned he might hold a record for his 56–57,000 insulin injections to date.
“Risdene”, the former home for the elderly in Higham Road, was for sale at £289,500.
September 1991
Beavers and Scouts from 2nd St.Mary’s raised £190 for Rushton School for the Blind. About 80 boys took part.
Rushden Working Men’s Club, Griffith Street, celebrated its 100th birthday.
83 years old, Reg Brown, a Scout stalwart celebrated the group’s 65th Anniversary, the 5th Anniversary of the Beaver Group and his 72nd year in the scouting movement.
Rushden and Higham Ferrers Chamber of Trade adopted the Crime Alert computerised early warning system to catch shoplifters and credit card swindlers.
October 1991
Fears were expressed that opening hours at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau would have to be cut due to funding difficulties.
Plans were announced to refurbish and re-open Colton Ward at Rushden Hospital as a respite unit for adults with behavioural problems. The handicapped children who had previously occupied this ward had been transferred to a newly-built bungalow unit in the hospital grounds.
Rushden and Higham Ferrers branch of the Save the Children Funds raised £550 from a raffle to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Fund. They raised a further £1,000 at an autumn fair at Alfred Street School.
A lacemaking exhibition and demonstration was held at Rushden Hall, organised by Joyce Colman of Wymington.
November 1991
Jobs for school leavers were in short supply. In Rushden only two jobs were on offer for 93 young people out of work.
About 100 pupils at South End Junior School took part in a sponsored skip which raised £900. £675 was donated to the British Heart Foundation to assist transplant patient Roy McLellan of Rushden, and the balance went to school funds.
There was a lot of criticism in the town of the GPO’s decision to transfer the Post Office to Budgen’s Supermarket.
Former Headteacher of Chichele School, Rushden, won an award in the H.E.Bates International Short Story Competition with her entry “The Final Square”. Hers was one of over 500 entries from all over Europe.
December 1991
A meeting was held at Rushden Hall to launch the draft East Northants Local Plan Developments over the 15 years to 2006. Proposals included 780 new homes in Rushden and Higham Ferrers, “many bordering the proposed by-pass”.
A dance at the Catholic Club raised £743 for the East Northants Across Group, which sends sick people on an annual pilgrimage to Lourdes.
More than £10,000 was handed over from fund raising by the Rushden After Care Committee.
East Northants Council agreed to continue funding the Rushden Rider shuttle bus service.
The much criticised part-pedestrianisation of the High Street was to be scrapped. The County Council was considering other traffic calming measures.
|
