Whether it ended in a taxi ride home or a staggering walk in anything but a straight line, those of us who have frequented Northampton’s pubs can all agree how fantastic they are.
Sadly, the saying ‘nothing lasts forever’ is true of many a much-loved bar and club that has closed down over the years.
Here, we track down ten of Northampton’s long-lost watering holes – how many of them do you remember? Plus, one much-loved venue which almost bit the dust in the 1980s and lived to tell the tale.
Did you have a favourite pub that closed in Northampton? Email [email protected].
5. The Clicker, Silverdale Road
The Clicker in Silverdale Road was a well-known community pub until it shut its doors in 2010. Photo: Google Streetview
6. The Jolly Anchor / Route 69, Gas Street
The Jolly Anchor, later known as Route 69, on Gas Street was a popular gay bar - the first pub in the town to offer LGBTQ+ nights before the Boston opened in 2003. After closing in 2010, the venue later became a Vietnamese restaurant. Photo: Google Streetview
7. The Belvedere, St Giles Street
Author Dave KNibb previously told the Chronicle & Echo: "The Belvedere started life as the Recruiting Sergeant, earliest date, 1793. It could easily have been there for a long while before, maybe under another name, but I could find no trace. It changed its name in 1875..." Photo: NA
8. The Music and Video Club (later Lloyd's Bar), Abington Street
The Music and Video Club was a short-lived venue on the corner of Abington Street and St Giles Terrace that closed down in 1998 and later became Lloyd's Bar. It is now a Burger King restaurant Photo: National World