Odds and Sods 1975

By shendyNo Comments
A slightly random selection from 1975. This was taken in June 1975 at a Masque Theatre production at Easton Neston - home of Lord Hesketh. Through the gate was the home of his Formula 1 racing team, whose main driver at the time was one James Hunt. March 1975, London Zoo. This is Guy The Gorilla. Especially memorable for me because for some reason he charged the window me and The Brother were looking at him through. Scared the bejesus out of us - let's face it, who wouldn't be spooked when a bloody huge gorilla charges you - and I was a skinny and weedy 6 1/2 year old. Personally, I think he took a dislike to The Brother - perfectly understandable... And this is one for the social historians out there - my mother's parents kitchen in Pembroke Gardens. At least that's where I assume it is - looks vaguely familiar, but I was probably last there around 35 years ago!...
Read More

Northampton

By shendy1 Comment
A selection of pics from Northampton in 1973 One of the stalls on the Market Square Traffic chaos at the old Banbury Lane level crossing - now replaced by a bridge. We used to go out there and watch the trains fairly often. For many years I thought there were no trains on Sundays because that's what my parents told me - presumably so I wouldn't bug them to go out there on Sundays as well... Not the sort of thing you stumble across in a field too often... Some from the Borough Show in Abington Park. The building work in the Town Centre continues, with the public still not suspecting how awful it's going to be. A summer evening at the pub - the Britannia on the Bedford Road. One from the front garden at home, showing the cherry(?) tree in blossom - it just *look* 1970s doesn't it? And one final one - dear god what the hell are those trousers??? Putting a 5-year old boy...
Read More

Beckets Park

By shendyNo Comments
Starting off 1973, pretty much all of which is from the summer. These two sets are both from Beckets Park in Northampton. First up, the raft race in May '73 - was it organised by the Rotary Club? Seems to ring a bell. Anyway, first up are the Friends of the Earth - presumably thought of as a bunch of hippies back then, before they became so much more mainstream. The second pic appears to include the Mayor, in a suit, complete with chain, sat on a raft. The third one is the Nene Valley Mountain Rescue crew - presumably not a particularly busy organisation, given the lack of hillage in the area. I'm impressed by the last one - they seem to have built quite a good double scull! The second batch are from a boat rally in August. I do like the barge that's been converted into a replica battleship, and look at the size of the crowd!...
Read More

Northampton Early 1973

By shendyNo Comments
What a vibrant, exciting place Northampton must have been in early 1973... Who am I trying to kid - it was the early 70s! Anyway, there was a lot of building work going on in the town, with the old Chronicle and Echo building being demolished and replaced by that modern invention - a shopping mall. And we ended up with the Grosvenor Centre, attached to a bus station of such monstrosity that in 2005 Channel 4's "Demolition" programme shortlisted it for the worst building in Britain - beaten out only by such excrescences as Cumbernauld Town Centre in Scotland. Then there was the construction of the multi-storey Mayorhold car park, and the modern looking Saxon Inn hotel. And I almost forgot the Carlsberg brewery! I always understood there had been a fire while building it, but I did some googling to find out more. The modern brewery is on the site of the old Phipps one - they were bought out by Watneys, who were then...
Read More