Stall holders, fashion show and Shakespeare play on show for Northamptonshire Day

Northamptonshire Day is all about celebrating the best of our county, this year taking place in the grounds of one of Northampton's most important historical buildings.

Stall holders and exhibitors will discuss the things they make and do in Northamptonshire and everyone is invited to help celebrate and sample the best of the county.

Some of the best food, drink and craft producers from the county will also be at the event, along with local musicians and family activities and Masque Theatre will also hold an hour-long romp through Shakespeare’s Macbeth – The Scottish Play – from 1.30pm.

Councillor Anna King, Northampton Borough Council Cabinet member for community engagement and safety, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the wealth of fantastic things Northamptonshire has to offer, from amazing history to outstanding contemporary cooking.

“Northampton is known for its pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit and some of the museum collections demonstrate just how inventive our townspeople are and have been.

“Of course, with Kinky Boots having just kicked off its UK tour in the town, one of the primary attractions at Northamptonshire Day will be the boots themselves.”

Red Rumpus will present two ‘Northampton Through the Decades’ fashion shows at noon and 3pm, showcasing costumes from every decade between the 1880s to the 1980s, supported by Masque Theatre and Naked hair salon.

Tamsyn Payne, of Red Rumpus, said: “The show will feature fashion throughout a hundred years of Northampton’s history, including the First World War and the Women’s Movement, both very fitting this year.”

Northampton Museums will be at the event with a variety of items from Northamptonshire’s history, particularly of items made in the county.

The stall will feature footwear – including First World War boots – objects from the Joseph Grose archive, one of the early pioneers of motoring, and items from the Bassett-Lowke model collection.

Museum staff will also engage with visitors to gather ideas for the We Are Northampton exhibition which will take pride of place when the revamped museum reopens its doors.

The event has been organised by BBC Radio Northampton with support from a range of organisations including Northampton Borough Council and the Delapre Abbey Preservation Trust (DAPT).

BBC Radio Northampton is broadcasting live from the event where listeners get the chance to hear from people at the heart of it all.

Gardener Johnnie Amos will be there to answer everyone’s burning gardening questions while breakfast show presenter Annabel Amos and sport presenter Graham McKechnie go head-to-head in a challenge between Annabel’s Coconut Shy and Graham’s Whack-a-Rat stalls.