Rushden Research Group: Tony Warren & Julia Skipper

By Julia Warren (nee Skipper), 2012

Tony Warren & Julia Skipper

Bernard Warren born August 4th 1910, and came to live in Rushden. When he married Doris they lived in Newton Bromswold with their son Tony. Bernard was in the Home Guard and during the War he delivered fuel to the airbase at Chelveston, from a yard in Kelmarsh.

He moved with his family to 16 Orchard Place, Rushden where their daughter Jill was born. Doris worked at the Denbros shoe factory, just off Rectory Road, as a machinist. Bernard then worked as a bricklayer for the Co-op builders who had a yard in Rectory Road.

As the building trade picked up Bernard went to work for Marriotts, then Hawken Components in Washbrook Road. He worked there with his son. By then Orchard Place was to be demolished to make way for a car park. Doris and Bernard moved to Dell Place where sadly Doris died of cancer.


Bernard, Doris & Tony	in Orchard Place	Bernard with Edna

Their son Tony married Julia Skipper, and their daughter Jill married Bernard Bailey, a policeman.

Bernard was remarried to Edna and they lived in Queen Street.

Tony Warren was born in 1937 in Rushden. Tony firstly recalls living at Newton Bromswold & going to school with a boy called Brian Harbour. One day on their way back from school, as they crossed the field, Tony fell in the pond and was rescued by Brian.


Tony in 1949	Wedding 1964

The family moved to 16 Orchard Place during the war. Tony recalls, aged 7, running along to the air raid shelter, which was underground, along by what used to be the Co-op offices. As a young lad he delivered groceries for Burtons shop in the High Street at the bottom of Orchard Place. He attended Tennyson Road school, and when he left in 1952, he went to work for Whittington and Tomlin (builders & undertakers) in Queen Street. Tony decided carpentry and coffin making was not for him and he served an apprenticeship with Drabbles the building and construction firm. Then like his dad, he moved to Marriotts the Builders.

Later his cousin John Bishop started his own building company and asked Tony to join him. They built the council flats in Rose Avenue, Rushden.

Tony met Julia Skipper after being introduced to John's sister-in-law Irene Bishop who worked with Julia at the Co-op.

Julia Warren (nee Skipper) - born in Rushden in 1945.
I spent my early childhood in Desborough. My family moved back to Rushden when I was 10 years old. I went to Alfred Street school, and then North End until 1960.


Julia in 1955	and in 1960	1962 in Orchard Place

After leaving school, I started working at the Wellingborough Road Co-op, moving then to High Street Co-op. What a lovely start to my adult life.

I worked under Mr Fred Langley, the manager to start with, and under-manager Ken Maple (he'd been a prisoner of war in Japan and he had a habit of swallowing raw eggs for breakfast. He called them Bombay oysters!) What characters. Then a new under-manager, Alan Peveril came. He had two jobs - at the Co-op, and at the Oakley public house as a barman.

I remember the excitement when Rushden carnival came through the High Street, and we were allowed to stand outside the shop to watch it pass.

Tony Warren & 16 Orchard Place 1962

Shaun aged 7 and Paul aged 5 in 1973

Then I met Tony Warren. When we became engaged, we built a bungalow in Irchester. I remember learning how to mix concrete and working as labour for Tony. We had two children who went to Irchester school and then Wollaston.

I started breeding exotic birds and Tony helped me to build the aviaries. Here are a few photos of my lovely parrots. Unfortunately I became ill with a lung disorder and I had to find new homes for my birds which was devastating.


Julia & Rosy the cockatoo	& King - grey parrot	Tony & Emma the macaw	and with Cocky the cockatoo

Tony and Julia became engaged and purchased a plot of land in Irchester (as land in Rushden was being bought up by builders and far to dear). They built a bungalow and it took two years to complete. Julia helped on her Thursdays off, holidays and weekends. They were married at St Mary's Church, Rushden in 1964 and Tony went to work for Alfie Underwood who built several houses in Woodland Road. Sometime later Tony worked with his dad at Hawken Components, but then they both went to Marriott's. It was while he was at Marriotts that Tony worked at the Hall Park restoring the Hall.

Later, when building firms were feeling the recession, Tony changed his job and after training became an injection moulder for the Mattell toy factory. Then he was offered a job with tarmac as a site manager, where he remained until retirement.


Julia - digging for services	Tony - chimney building 1962	With the motor home

Tony and Julia have found a new interest in visiting historic battle sites and re-enactments, in their motor home, and photography which Julia finds very useful with researching her family history.

Frank Skipper

Stanley Brooks