Happy New Years?
1951
AS the New Year dawned on 1951, things looked far from cheery for Northampton folk. Some 4,000 British soldiers, many of them from Northamptonshire, were part of the Nato force sent to fight in the Korean War. Meat was also in short supply as rationing was still in place and there was also a shortage of coal and coke to heat homes in what was a bitterly cold month.
If that wasn't enough to deal with, a flu epidemic forced many people to stay in bed. Around 100 pupils were absent from Northampton Grammar School and another six sufferers were Cobblers footballers. The team were drawn to play Arsenal at Highbury in the fourth round of the cup but the flu bug failed to stop 13,000 fans from making the journey to London to cheer on their team.
1963
The New Year was a cold one back in 1963. Heavy snow on Boxing Day 1962 signalled the start of a 10-week period of exceptionally severe frost and heavy snowfalls.
One of the most treacherous nights was that of January 19 when blizzards were whipped up by gale-force easterly winds. The Northampton Corporation snowplough was kept busy clearing the roads and railwaymen were out in force the following day trying to clear six-foot snow drifts on the railway lines.
Between January 18 and January 25 the temperature remained below freezing even during the day. The Fire Brigade had to deal with frozen water pipes across the town.
On one occasion a whole row of houses was frozen in Kings Heath and emergency water supplies had to be transported there in milk churns, borrowed from Civil Defence units.
1973
The skyline of Northampton was changing at the start of 1973 as Northampton House neared completion in Wood Street, becoming the tallest building in the town. The 13-storey office block, which is now luxury flats, was built at a cost of 1.5 million and was visible from almost anywhere on the outskirts of the town. Rapid progress was also being made on the development of Abington Street, making room for three large stores and nine smaller ones.
A Save The Cobblers campaign was also launched for the team, then playing at the County Ground.
Butchers in the town expressed fears that meat prices were on the increase with rump steak costing 92p a pound and fillet steak from 1.15 to 1.40 a pound.
The shoe industry also looked like it was heading for a crisis and a leading Northampton importer of leather, Vic Bryan, warned that prices might jump by 100 per cent because of a world shortage of hides.
He suggested that manufacturers look for new markets and investigate using synthetic materials.
1974
TheRE was early gloom with 28,000 workers in Northampton affected by the three-day week and an increase in the number of people claiming unemployment benefit particularly in the construction industry. There was more bad news on the horizon as two firms making leather goods in the town announced they were to close down.
But this didn't stop shoppers rushing to the January sales, with a queue forming outside Debenhams in The Drapery before 9am on the first day. Lady's Lane and Greyfriars became the latest roads to open to traffic in the town connecting the Mayorhold to The Mounts and providing an alternative route to Abington Street.
There was no sign of snow this year but a freak whirlwind struck the village of Deanshanger, ripping tiles off roofs and uprooting large trees.
1980
snow fell on January 3 and there were reports that despite Northampton's prosperity parts of the town centre were still eyesores with piles of debris lying just a stone's throw from "the new prestige bus station".
1987
Crowds flocked to the newly-opened 2 million Danes Camp Leisure Centre in the first days of 1987. Outside temperatures plunged to minus eight degrees C and Northampton Borough Council was swamped with calls as pipes burst across the town.
1992
at the Royal Theatre Paul Toothill became the third actor to play the role of Dame Dotty Dither in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the beginning of 1992.
The first actor, David Neal, withdrew due to illness and Michael Napier Brown, the then artistic director, had to take over while a replacement was found.
Major food superstores in the town said they planned to open seven days a week and blamed the decision on intense competition.
1996
Zoe Ball stepped out of Cinderella's slippers at Derngate into Gaby Roslin's on the Big Breakfast on television at the start of 1996 and later the same month Earl Spencer moved to South Africa with his wife.
1997
more than three inches of snow fell and during the freezing weather, operations at Northampton General Hospital were cancelled because of the huge increase in emergencies. Quality clothing store Saunderson's announced it was closing after 98 years in Northampton.
2000
The dawning of the new Millennium was greeted by almost 6,000 revellers in Northampton's Market Square. The celebrations started with the Mayor of Northampton, Councillor Arthur McCutcheon, lighting a beacon on the roof of the Grosvenor Centre and the crowd sang Auld Land Syne.
Parts of the London Eye were on their way back to London following expert analysis from engineers in Northamptonshire and Ann Summers announced plans to spice up the sex lives of couples in Northampton by opening a new store in Abington Street.
Gravediggers and undertakers in Northampton reported their busiest period in living memory blaming the backlog on a flu epidemic.
2001
Freezing weather and predicted blizzards forced the cancellation of New Year festivities in Northampton.
A laser show and firework display organised by Northampton Borough Council had been due to take place.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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