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January 1997
Fifth-three members of Rushden & District History Society held a Christmas Party at Rushden Hall where they were entertained with a talk from Arnold Peters, better known as Jack Wooley in “The Archers”.
The R.A.T.S. pantomime, “Beauty and the Beast”, was staged at the Pemberton Centre.
Elderly people in Rushden were furious over the closure on the Cordwainers Day Centre at Rushden Hospital. It had been run by Social Services and catered for up to one hundred elderly and disabled people.
Plans to close Broadlands Children’s Home in Victoria Road were approved by councillors.
February 1997
At a special birthday surprise party for 90 year old Arthur George, Rushden Amenities Society presented him with a cheque for a trip in either a hot air balloon or a trip to France by the Channel Tunnel.
The Bishop of Peterborough, the Rt. Rev. Ian Cundy, paid his first visit to St.Mary’s Church, Rushden, when he took part in a Higham Deanery service.
Identity cards were introduced to help stamp out under-age drinking in Rushden.
Rushden Mission Band, conducted by Tony Boddington, celebrated its 99th anniversary at the Mission Church in Wellingborough Road.
March 1997
Former England International, Brian Talbot, was brought in to assist Roger Ashby, the manager of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.
Eight year old Richard Dobbs wrote to the Evening Telegraph expressing his concern about the empty shops in Rushden High Street.
Verger, Peter White, set the clock mechanism in St.Mary’s Church tower to British Summer Time – an operation he had already done for 35 years.
The East Northants Council’s Rushden Town Committee agreed to ask Anglian Water to carry out remedial work on a section of the brook running through Hall Park – which was officially a public sewer.
April 1997
An exhibition celebrating the Queen’s Golden Wedding, called “Happy Ever After”, was stated at the Rushden Heritage Centre.
Rushden Fire Service hoped to recruit three volunteer part-time firemen by opening the station to the public.
Members of Rushden & District Motorcycle Action Group took part in the annual Easter Egg Run when they delivered eggs to “The Squirrels” unit at Rushden Hospital.
The R.Griggs Group’s Rushden-based export and marketing arm, Airwair Ltd, won the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement for the second time.
May 1997
Terry Chapman, Chairman of Rushden & District Photographic Society, was elected President of the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain.
In the General Election, Sir Peter Fry lost the Wellingborough constituency to Labour after serving for 27 years as its MP.
Drag-racing champion, Michael Malmgren, was booked for ‘speeding’ outside Rushden Police Station as part of the Police road safety campaign, code-named “Operation Dragster”.
Multi-million pound plans by London Leisure Group, Freeport, to create a shopping village on a 23 acre derelict site at Skew Bridge Lake off the A45 were scrapped.
June 1997
Rushden Carnival marked the handing over of Hong Kong to China when its theme for its annual parade was “Goodbye Hong Kong”.
Ross Neville closed his family run tobacconist business in Rushden High Street after being in existence for 89 years.
It was announced that the Children’s Home in Victoria Road, Rushden, would close, saving the County Council £259,000 a year.
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July 1997
Plans were revealed for a new £1.2 million primary school for Rushden. The first phase would be built on land near Rushden Cemetery, Newton Road, and would cater for 210 pupils.
Infra-red security cameras were to be installed by Budgens supermarket in a bid to clamp down on vandals.
A new £250,000 extension to Rushden Splash Pool was opened. It would provide a 64‑seat restaurant and include a crèche.
It was revealed that plans for the multi-million by‑pass for Rushden and Higham Ferrers had been put on hold.
More than sixty members of Rushden & District History Society met for the first time in South End School, Wymington Road, after their previous venue, Rushden Hall, became unable to accommodate their growing membership.
August 1997
Several bands from the Rushden area, belonging to The Music Workshop, raised money to build and equip a recording studio at Moor Road Youth Centre.
Rushden Historical Transport Society celebrated the group’s 21st birthday with a “Forties Weekend”.
September 1997
Streets in Rushden were deserted on Saturday 6th September as shops and businesses closed as a mark of respect to Diana, Princess of Wales. People stayed at home to watch the funeral service on television or made their own special pilgrimage to London or to Althorp House, the Spencer family home.
Churches in the county were appealing for people to ring in the new Millennium. Bob Whitworth, tower captain at St.Mary’s, Rushden, reported there were about sixteen bell-ringers on their books.
A £25 million scheme to build 267 houses on a 31 acre site between Bedford Road and Greenacre Drive, Rushden, was unveiled.
A decision on the Rushden and Higham Ferrers by‑pass was deferred by the government until Spring 1998.
Council leader, Mrs Maye Dicks was elected chairman of East Northants Council.
Plans for an estate with 122 houses went before East Northants Development Committee. There were objections from the residents of Link Road and Harvey Road, Rushden, to pedestrian links being provided to the ends of the two cul-de-sacs.
October 1997
The Evening Telegraph produced a special “100th Birthday Telegraph” of the ET story 1897–1997.
Postmen from Rushden took a break from delivering the mail to join half a million others in the World’s Biggest Coffee Break for the Macmillan Cancer Relief Fund.
Governors of Alfred Street Junior School were disappointed that the County Council had decided not to build a new school on the former Pemberton School site.
The planning application for 128 houses planned to the south of Rushden Road and Wymington Road, was approved, but the footpath links to Harvey Road and Link Road were deleted.
It was announced that the Tecnic Shoe Company in Bedford Road, Rushden, would close after eighty-two years of shoe making.
Plans for a major new Leisure Complex were unveiled by the company behind the Dr.Marten’s empire. The Griggs Group had put forward a scheme for a cinema, nightclub, restaurant, tavern and a health & fitness club on land next to the Diamond Centre at Irthlingborough.
Copperfield’s Fish and Chip Shop in Rushden became the regional winner for the Midlands and East Anglia in the search for the fish and chip shop of the year, organised by the Sea Fish Industry Authority.
Arsonists destroyed the bandstand in Rushden Hall Park. East Northamptonshire Council had only just spent thousands of pounds to put a new roof on the brick and timber building which John White had presented to the town in 1936.
November 1997
A bible which had been sent to HMS Quorn, Rushden’s adopted ship during World War II, by County school children, was reported to be a treasured possession of a former crewmember living in Leeds.
East Northants Council drew up plans to spend £50,000 to upgrade toilets in Newton Road, Rushden, and protect them from vandalism.
Leather firm Strong & Fisher closed its Rushden tannery after 65 years of production, with the loss of 270 jobs.
December 1997
A new £2 million family pub opened at the Foxhills Farm site off Northampton Road, Rushden, and was named the “Needle and Awl” after the town’s famous brogue shoe-making tradition.
A party atmosphere brought festive cheer to Rushden and Higham Ferrers as the Christmas lights were switched on.
Lonely people were invited to a special Christmas Day get-together at the Rushden Salvation Army Community Centre in Church Street.
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