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January 1999
Rushden & Diamonds players celebrated after their goal-less draw against Premiership high-fliers Leeds United in their sell-out FA Cup third round tie at Nene Park.
The fairground fraternity mourned the death of Charles William Thurston whose family had run traditional feast weeks at Kettering and Rushden for more than a century.
February 1999
A new £62,000 pocket park was opened between Highfield Road and Tennyson Road, Rushden.
Members of Rushden Historical Transport Society started work on laying a 600 metre section of track between the Railway Station and Shirley Road.
An exhibition at Rushden Heritage Centre featured the history of the Co‑operative Societies in Rushden and Raunds. It included photographs, posters, records and memorabilia from many of the thirty Rushden Co‑operative Society shops.
March 1999
Ross Neville, who ran one of the oldest businesses in Rushden until his retirement in 1997, died aged 83. He joined the business at the age of 14 when he left school and took over the stationers and tobacconist shop in High Street from his father, William ‘Billy’ Neville, during the 1950s. For many years the family ran a private coach hire service from a garage behind the shop.
Due to a typing error, a letter describing the work of the local charity, Serve, advised that its aim was to help older and disabled people to “love” more comfortably.
April 1999
About 500 young people took part in the St.George’s Day Parade and service in Rushden. Groups taking part came from Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Raunds, Irthlingborough, Irchester, Ringstead and Woodford.
A Silver Birch tree in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, was planted in the flower garden at the junction of Skinners Hill and Church Street, Rushden. It was planted by Mrs Sue Homer, who was the first chairman of the Town Centre Group, set up to improve the environment of Rushden.
A new display was staged at Rushden Heritage Centre called “Everything but the Squeal”, and told the story about the domestic and cottage pig, from the 16th century to modern times.
May 1999
A referendum on whether Rushden should have a town council was planned by East Northants Council.
Members and friends of Rushden Amenities Society were working on Rushden’s answer to the Bayeux Tapestry. Ten panels of canvas depicting the local history with its buildings and personalities, with each representing a decade of the 20th century, were designed by founder member Clive Wood.
Thousands of people from all over the country travelled to the 21st Annual Cavalcade organised by Rushden Historical Transport Society. The event held at Lancaster Farm, Higham Ferrers, attracted a record 1,500 entries as well as the television personality and steeplejack Fred Dibnah.
The international charity Spurgeon’s Child Care opened its new centre at the former Post Office in College Street, Rushden.
June 1999
Two young members of the Rushden-based White Knights Chess Club won places in the National Final of the UK Chess Challenge at Nottingham University.
Freak storms brought Rushden and the surrounding area to a standstill. Lightning struck the electricity sub stations in Knuston, Washbrook Road and Duck Street. The Duck Street building burst into flames and was severely damaged. Rushden Splash Pool had to be evacuated when the roof leaked, and the violent thunderstorms caused water to come up through the drains in the changing rooms.
The theme of Rushden Carnival held in Hall Park was “Events of the 20th Century”. The Carnival Queen was Bridget Kitchener.
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July 1999
Local artists worked with schoolchildren to produce a mural on boards surrounding a former shoe factory in Duck Street. The mural charted “Journeys of Shoes” and was part of a Millennium Youth Arts Project.
Children at Newton Road School, Rushden, together with staff and parents, built a Millennium Garden on an area of their playground.
August 1999
People lined Rushden town centre streets to witness an eclipse of the sun that darkened the town and gave the impression of a winter’s afternoon. St.Mary’s Church verger, Peter White, viewed the eclipse through a special pair of night glasses he had bought at an antiques fair many years earlier.
Members of CRAG, the Council for Rushden Action Group fighting to get a town council for Rushden, handed over a 2,324 signature petition to East Northamptonshire’s Town Committee.
September 1999
Permission was granted for South End Infant and Junior Schools to expand to provide an extra 210 places for pupils.
East Northamptonshire Council designed a Millennium commemorative mug to be given away to children.
October 1999
Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion at the Longmeadow building site in Bedford Road, Rushden, after live ammunition was found in the remains of a World War II Lockheed Lightning aeroplane.
The second anniversary was observed of the loss of the bandstand in Rushden Hall Park, due to arson. John White donated the bandstand, built in the 1930s, to the town.
November 1999
More than 9,000 people voted in a referendum to say that Rushden should have its own town council. The result would be passed on to John Prescott, Secretary of State for the Environment.
Rushden & District History Society launched their Millennium book “A Thousand Years of Rushden” written and compiled by some twenty-two of its members.
December 1999
Non-league Rushdenj & Diamonds went out of the FA Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot‑out in their reply against Sheffield United.
Cllr Maye Dicks was awarded an MBE in recognition of her work as a local councillor for the past 34 years.
Hundreds of people flocked to Hall Park, Rushden, to see in the new century. Torchlight processions from the town’s churches began to converge on the park an hour before midnight. The crowd joined in songs and prayers before Big Ben’s chimes were heard, followed by a short firework display.
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