RELAUNCH - from left Greville Watson, Eric Powell, Gemma Bathurst (2OOO queen), Marian Pinnell (1973 queen), Julie Higgins (1984 queen)

A BOOK chronicling a town's history has proved such a success it is being reprinted.

Members of Rushden and District History Society held a relaunch for their book, 1000 Years of Rushden, at the town's heritage centre in Newton Road on Saturday.

Rushden Carnival Queens including this year's winner, Gemma Bathurst were invited to the event, as the book has pictures of the town's first-ever carnival queen, taken in 1934.

The book's original print run of 2,000 copies sold out within weeks. Now the story is being reprinted and will be available again in November.

The project is being financed by society members, Eric Fowell, Geoff Wiggins and Greville Watson.

Mr Fowell said: "There is already a demand for the reprinted book. We have had orders for 100 copies."

Mr Watson said: "One order we have received is from a lady who lives in America who used to live in Rushden in her childhood."