November 2025

ISSUE 15 - NOVEMBER 2025

NENE Herald

News from Around the Wellingborough & Rushden Area

Rushden Parking Survey Reform led North Northamptonshire Council are investigating charging for parking in Rushden & Wellingborough.

Last month, Nene Herald initiated a survey in Wellingborough to gauge people’s attitudes and 96% supported free parking.

Nene Herald has now carried out a survey in Rushden and got a similar result.

410 people responded, resulting in 97.5% supporting free parking in Rushden.

There were 111 comments. None supported removing free parking. Here is a representative sample · “You mean the Town will die quicker.” · “It’s a dead Town anyway.” · “With Lakes having 5 hours free, it would finish both Rushden and Wellingborough town centre.” · “Nah, they will just park in my street more! I mean that park in the street anyway despite parking being free. And yes, I know it’s not illegal and people can park in unrestricted areas. Just saying it’s what happens.” · “So it happens already so what you mean it will make it worse apart from the constraints that there are only so many cars that can park on any street. But this is not an either or situation. If there is a choice of parking for nothing or parking for free many will take the free option whether that be on the street or the car parks.” · “There are places you are allowed up to 2 hours shopping time and the penalty fine if you go over it. This is in Rushden I am ralting to, not the other towns.” · “Correct, like ASDA and Waitrose. Parking is free, but conditioned to fair use. You are parked there to shop in those supermarkets and your length of stay in there is reasonable. However, this is completely related to Local Authority long-stay car parking that has been free of charge being reviewed with a view to starting to charge for parking.”

Continued : · “Parking charges are a rip off in the UK, Councils want people to visit their area for shopping and other events to help the local economy, yet visitors have to pay exorbitant parking charges for the privalidge, we’ve been on holiday in Norfolk recently the parking charges were atrocious, but it isn’t called rip off Britain for nothing.” · “Answer is i.d cards for cars! Electronic tax disc’s and why not tax oxygen, people heavily should pay more!!! Labour are probably working on it as we speak! · “I have no idea what any of that has got to do with our Reform led local authority proposing to charge for parking in local authority owned car parks. On taxation, I’m rather with Ab Fabs Patsy Stone, we are long overdue a stupidity tax.” · “The Town is already dead with extremely limited access.” · “The Town is dead already.” · “I thought in Rushden was free anyway?” · “Shouldn’t pay for parking anywhere in the country…we pay enough different taxes on car use as it is.” · “Its about a mile and half from the furthest point to the town centre. I used to walk that to school when I was five. Just walk, you’ll be MUCH better for it.”

The above comment is factually incorrect. The furthest points in the Town Centre catchment are considerably more than 1.5 miles.

· Some people cant walk and have disabilities.

They rely on this just to access the smallest trip to the high street for essentials” · “What is there in Rushden to pay Parking for” · “Harmonising the parking charges across the towns in NNC could be Ok if they harmonised what each town has to offer. The council has already stated that Corby and Kettering are the preferred retail destinations so why should Rushden, Wellingborough and Thrapston have to pay the same for parking.” · “There is free parking but it’s a shame people still have to park on the pavement outside the shops.” · “Agreed Wellingborough is also starting parking charges it will also kill what’s left of Wellingboughs trade” · “It’s NNC that is suggesting parking charges across North Northamptonshire. Don’t think Wellingborough wants it either” · “Introduce and people will just park in side streets further out thereby annoying residents who are then unable to park outside their houses.” · “No chance people will pay. You’re avin’ a laff”

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Rushden Remembers Friday 3rd October 2025 was the 85th anniversary of one of the most defining moments in Rushden’s history.

On that day, a German bomber dropped eighteen high explosive bombs and twelve incendiaries in a line across the town.

The bombs hit the local elementary school, a factory, a hotel and other buildings killing four adults and six children and injuring others, some severely.

Although the attack was 85 years ago, it is still remembered. The school (now known as Alfred Lord Tennyson School) was rebuilt and still educates the young of the Town.

A blue plaque hanging on the wall of the school lists the children who were lost in the bombing.

Remembrance Day 2025

Fallen Beech Tree

Remembrance Day is when we remember the sacrifices made by soldiers, sailors and airmen over the years with wreath laying and a Service of Commemoration.

Earlier this year, a 300-year old beech tree collapsed in Rushden’s Hall Park.

Many residents were very upset at the loss of this tree. It was a much-loved feature of Hall Park.

Rushden Town Council has done its best to salvage something from the debris of the tree.

Much of the wood was completely rotten and not fit for any purpose. However, the stump has been turned into a planter so plants and flowers can be grown in it.

The best pieces of timber have been turned into “green” benches in the Park. So, in one way or the other, the tree will live on!

On Sunday 9th of November, parades will take place in Wellingborough and in Rushden. This will necessitate road closures in both towns.

These Services are typically very well supported by the public, which come to pay their respects to the fallen heroes.

In the surrounding villages, there will be matching Services.

At precisely 11am, there will be 2 minutes silence.

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Covid Has Not Gone Away

Greenway Re-opens

Autumn is coming on, and the cold-weather bugs are back.

Flu kills thousands every year, but the flu vaccine is very effective. Many people are eligible to get it for free, but if you aren’t, many pharmacists offer it for £10. It is well worth the cost.

The Covid pandemic is slowly winding down, but it’s not over. People in Rushden, Wellingborough and our villages are still catching the bug.

The current record holder is a poor man in Daventry who has now had it 6 times!

If you are offered a Covid booster jab, accept the offer. The vaccination isn’t guaranteed to stop you getting Covid, but it will cut the severity and possibly save your life. It can also help reduce the spread of the infection.

Rotary Club Wins Award The Rotary Club of Rushden has achieved the 2024/2025 Club Excellence Award.

The North Northamptonshire Greenway is a strategic rural network of safer, largely traffic-free routes suitable for walkers, wheelers, cyclists and equestrian users. Where appropriate, it also connects settlements, employment, leisure and tourism destinations across North Northamptonshire and beyond.

Originating in Rushden, an early phase of the Greenway ran along the former track-bed of the disused railway from Wellingborough to Rushden.

The Award considers Rotary Clubs across the country. It recognises the pro-active ethos within the Club that brings people together to support their local community as well as providing aid overseas.

Part of that phase ran through a cutting under Rushden’s Washbrook Road. Unfortunately, some users experienced unease in this particular section of the Greenway because they felt trapped by the high sides of the cutting and the distance between access points.

Club President, Anton Rudgalvis, commented: "’ This award recognises those Clubs that have achieved specific goals aligned with Rotary’s Action Plan promoting engagement, growth and community impact."

The problem has been resolved by building a sloping exit from the cutting up to Washbrook Road. This work has now been completed and provides a safe access point for everyone (including wheelchair users).

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Flying the Flag with Pride

HSBC Bank Re-opens

Rushden’s 16th annual Proms in the Park was held in the Walled Garden at Hall Park, on Saturday 6th September 2025. This popular charity event was hosted by the Mayor of Rushden, Cllr. Gill Mercer, and featured the award winning Rushden Town Band.

Around 300 people came along with their picnics to enjoy the evening that started with “God Save the King”.

The first half included a medley of brass band music celebrating all things British.. Before the interval, the crowd heard a rendering of Queen’s songs, plus the themes of the James Bond movies. There was much audience participation and flag waving in the second half with the traditional Rule Britannia and Jerusalem.

Song sheets and flags were provided.

Also present in the audience were civic Mayors and Chairs from other towns within the surrounding area and as far afield as Peterborough and Sandy.

Not long ago, Rushden’s High Street had a multiplicity of retail banks: · Co-operative

Cllr Gill Mercer said, “When I was Mayor in 2009, I decided to hold a Proms in the Park, and I am delighted that it has continued as an annual tradition and that I have been given the chance to preside over a second one.”

“I am particularly delighted to have this opportunity to raise funds for my chosen charities Rush2theDen and the Rushden and District Community Charity. A huge Thank You to those who supported me in organising the event.”

The rousing and uplifting evening concluded with an encore of “Land of Hope and Glory”.

· Lloyds · Barclays · TSB · NatWest · HSBC One by one they have closed, with HSBC being the most recent.

The banks, housed mostly in buildings of significant architectural merit, contributed positively to the vitality of the High Street.

Sadly, several of the buildings have been repurposed and are no longer of retail/banking use. The common trend now is conversion into blocks of flats or homes-of-multiple-occupation.

HSBC said that their closure was only temporary, while some structural maintenance took place.

However, many residents feared that it would never re-open.

For a change, we have Good News!

After a four-month closure, HSBC has re-opened which means that a banking facility has been retained in Rushden High Street.

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Yelden’s Name Settled - For now The name of a village just south of Rushden has confused generations of visitors.

When you enter the village from the east, the road signs display one name. When you enter it from the west, they have a different name.

A spokesman for Bedford Borough Council said: “We are aware of the difference in spelling in the signs around this village.”

“Some years ago, we contacted the parish council to ask for clarification as to how their village name should be spelt.”

“The response from the parish council was that they have no preference as to the spelling of their name as the difference in spelling has been used over many years.”

“The local road signs in Bedford borough use the spelling as ‘Yelden’, the roads in Northamptonshire use both ‘Yelden’ and ‘Yielden’, and the spelling by Highways England on the Aroad [trunk road] was ‘Yieldon’.”

“Where signs are replaced, we will be using ‘Yelden’ as the spelling for this village.”

Nene Herald are not convinced that the name won’t change again in the future.

The Entertainer Opens

Annual Firework Display

A new toy store has opened at Rushden Lakes.

“The Entertainer” are a chain that spans the world.

Cllr. Gill Mercer, the Town Mayor of Rushden, was invited to cut the ribbon for the store opening on 10th October.

There was a “trolley-dash” to kick things off.

Afterwards, a crowd rushed in.

The store refuses to stock ‘unethical’ toys, such as realistic guns, but that still leaves a huge range of toys to sample.

Nene Herald wishes the new store every success.

On Saturday 8th November, the Nene Valley Scouts will hold their annual firework extravaganza in Rushden’s Hall Park.

The Display always attracts many thousands of visitors and is one of the most spectacular in the area.

Tickets, if bought early, are £7 for adults, £5 for children (3-14 years old), or £8.50 for adults, £6.50 for children (3-14 years old) if bought on the night.

Tickets can be purchased at · Mark Bird Flooring, Grove Street Store, Higham · The Post Office in Raunds · Happy Mondays Coffee Shop, High Street, Rushden · The Mini Market, High Street, Rushden · PW House Jewellers, High Street, Rushden · Rushden Library · Premier Stores, Churchill Road, Rushden They can also be bought online at: https:// www.tickettailor.com/events/ nenevalleydistrictscouts/1825009 The Fun starts at 6:30pm.

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A Warm Welcome

Latte Launderette The footfall in Rushden’s High Street is changing, and as a consequence, the character of the Street is changing too.

Shops selling goods are slowly being replaced by stores delivering services.

Latte Launderette is the latest service store to open. It will be officially opened by the Town Mayor of Rushden on the 1st of November.

The Latte Launderette which blends laundry with coffee-comfort will be open 7-days a week from 8am to 8pm. It will help to restore some vitality to the Town Centre.

Sadly, the store next door (Cancer Research) is closing shortly.

With winter approaching and the cold months ahead, the Warm Rooms scheme offers a welcoming space for people to socialise and stay warm. The Scheme operates in both Rushden and Wellingborough.

In Rushden

Pizza Hut to Close in Wellingborough

Conservative-controlled Rushden Town Council launched the Friends of Rushden Hall Community group.

The Group is free to attend and runs on Friday afternoons at Rushden Hall. It provides an opportunity for visitors to socialise whilst enjoying activities such as bingo, and tabletop board games, along with complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits.

The Group meets at Rushden Hall on Friday afternoons from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. All are welcome.

In Wellingborough

The Pizza Hut in Wellingborough’s Castle Fields Retail Park, is to close.

The staff were notified about the closure just minutes before the doors were clsoed.

Across the UK, Pizza Hut will close 68 restaurants and 11 delivery sites, after the firm running them fell into administration.

Zoe Adjay, a senior lecturer in hospitality at the University of East London, said that Pizza Hut had been "at the forefront of bringing fast food into the UK" in the 1970s, but had later struggled with increased competition.

There are a range of matching services in Wellingborough, · Charles Robinson Court Community Room, Gillitts Road, Wellingborough NN8 2BB on Fridays fortnightly 10:30am – 12:30pm · Wellingborough Library six days a week, 9-6 Monday-Friday and 9-5 Saturdays. · Victoria Centre on Saturdays. · St. Marks Church on Wednesdays 10am – 3pm.

Wellingborough Eco Group, Glamis Hall, ·Goldsmith Road, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am – 2am.

She added that "The pizza market has become a lot more upmarket…There's a lot more high-end pizza and they've taken a huge market share."

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Out and about

IN & around Wellingborough & rushden Bingo in Irchester

Rustic Dreaming in Rushden

The Public Libraries and Museums Act (1964) requires top level councils to provide a library service. In this area, it is North Northamptonshire Council that has this duty.

“Rustic Dream” are a local Indie pop rock duo, with a touch of folk and Country & Western.

In the larger towns, NNC provides a library directly (.e.g Rushden Library).

In smaller communities (e.g. Irchester, Finedon), the service is provided by a community library.

Irchester’s community library provides services beyond just book-lending. For example, for £5, you can go to the Village Hall and play bingo.

There are sessions once each month. The sessions provide a small dollop of glue that helps bind the community together.

They are appearing at Rushden’s “The General”, a Three Hills Bar and taproom in College Street on Saturday 8th of November. Entry is free.

Jennah Comes to Rushden Singer-songwriter, Jennah, is coming to Rushden.

She will be appearing at Rushden’s Conservative Club on Saturday 1st of November.

Jennah sings a mixture of ‘covers’ of famous singers (like Celine Dion) and original songs that she writes herself.

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Dungeons and Dragons Players Wanted

“ Air Ada ”

Rushden Library hosts a group of D&D players every second Saturday from 1pm to 4pm.

“ Soon be farwork nite gal! I do hairt em. Dus me ‘ead in, dunt they yourws? ”

The Group is open for new members.

If you are into role-playing games and are free on Saturday afternoons, contact the Library at: Rushden.LibraryPlus@northnorthants.gov.uk

PAGE 9

Rushden’s Got Rhythm

Retro Gaming For better or for worse, online computer games have become a major part of our culture. Many young people (and older ones!) spend more time sitting at a computer screen and clicking a mouse than they do watching TV. For many people, “Minecraft”, “Fortnite” and their brethren are more important than Coronation Street or Eastenders.

Online gaming is also changing modern warfare.

The battles in Ukraine are dominated by gamers controlling drones through computer games headsets and consoles. Where the culture started with gamers blowing up imaginary tanks on a computer screen, they are now blowing up real ones.

However, not all gamers are obsessed with the modern Big Name games. Earlier generations of computer games still have a following.

Rhythm Junction are a four-piece band who perform 60’s to current pop covers by artists including The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder, Womack & Womack, Wild Cherry, Tina Turner, Sister Sledge, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Abba, Queen, Madonna and Amy Winehouse.

They are appearing at Rushden’s Conservative Club on Saturday 8th of November.

At Rushden Library, on Tuesdays, at 3:30, during term time, the Neo Retro Gaming group meet to play the older games.

Entry is free, but you must be a member of the Club (or attending with a member).

It’s free to attend and everyone is welcome (under 11’s must be accompanied by an adult).

Pokemon Club

Amateur Dramatics Adventure Earlier this year, the theatrical group “Standing in the Wings” performed “The Wind in the Willows” in the Walled Garden in Rushden’s Hall Park. It was very successful.

Pokemon has become truly mainstream and is played by many. There are regular tournaments, and contests. Pokemon ‘cards’ are traded and highly prized.

Wildphire Collectibles in Rushden caters for this trade. They are based at 91 High Street, Rushden.

They now have a Kids Club that meets every Saturday.

They would like more people to get involved in amateur dramatics, with the aim to spread their experience and skills. They are planning a sixweek drama workshop, with a likely start date of January 2026. It will cost £80 for the whole programme.

The workshop is designed to build confidence, develop performance skills, and connect you with like-minded creatives in a fun and supportive environment.

Their press release states What You’ll Gain: Learn fundamental drama techniques, including voice projection, movement, and improvisation.

Develop your stagecraft and refine your acting skills.

PAGE 10

News in Brief Cancer Research Shop To Close in Rushden Cancer Research has announced plans to close 88 stores across the UK by May 2026.

They state: “…like many high street retailers, we’re faced with rising costs, inflationary pressures, and changing consumer habits — including reduced footfall, higher national insurance contributions, and growing competition from online resale platforms.”

Unfortunately, their shop in Rushden will be one of those to close.

Cannabis Factory Found in Rushden Police attended a property in Blinco Road, Rushden, executing a search warrant on 16th October.

Inside the property, there were 256 cannabis plants in various stages of growth, spread across five rooms including inside the loft. The plants were seized and the factory dismantled.

So far, nobody has been arrested in connection with this grow, and the police would like to hear from anyone who may be able to identify those responsible for setting up the cannabis factory.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111 quoting incident number 25000607441.

Former Chief Constable Charged Nick Adderley, the former Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, has been charged with several offences.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 10 November.

Mr Adderley faces one count of Misconduct In a Public Office and one count of fraud, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Mr. Adderley had originally been suspended from office by the former Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold. This followed several allegations against Mr Adderley.

Specifically, Mr Adderley was accused of wearing medals to which he was not entitled and of making false claims about his military service and achievements.

The Nene Herald is a community-based newspaper for Wellingborough, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough and the surrounding villages.

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