The people of Rushden, Higham Ferrers, and the district had the opportunity on Saturday night of witnessing a remarkably fine display of the aurora borealis.  The appearance of the aurora so far south is exceedingly rare; in fact, such a brilliant spectacle has not been observable at Rushden for several years.

  Hundreds of people in Rushden and the district around were astonished at the unusual sight, and, as a matter of fact, many people – mistakenly, of course – associated the phenomenon with some threatened earthquake which is said to have been prophesied.  Others thought there was a fire in the neighbourhood.  The display gradually worked round to the north, and the northern sky continued to be illuminated behind the clouds until the early hours of Sunday morning.

  It is interesting to note that on the last occasion when the aurora was seen at Rushden the display appeared first in the east and worked round to the north – the direction being just contrary to Saturday night’s display.