The NeneQuirer June 2019

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NEWS, CULTURE & SPORT FOR NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, FREE AT THE POINT OF NEED

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June 2019

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Issue 19

If a pigeon can fly why can’t I? His videos are watched by millions on Youtube, his first album is a critical smash, NQ was with Slowthai when he returned to Northampton College with a message for the students

SUR YOU PRISE RSEL You F! eat a r guide to nd

gre drink in No at place s to rtham pton shire !

Rachel Thomas marks your card for Northampton Music Festival

Reviewed: Tres Angelos Tapas

INSIDE: The ultimate guide to great food and drink in Northamptonshire

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June 19

News

Scan this QR code with your phone to see more Mayor Making pictures

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Northampton’s new First Citizen

Councillor Nazim Choudary takes over from Councillor Tony Ansell as the Mayor of Northampton after a Mayor making ceremony at The Guildhall.

His mother Maroof Iftikhar will be Mayoress. If you would like to contribute to the Mayor’s charity, The Lowdown, or would like more information about the Mayor, please contact the Mayor’s Office at the Guildhall on 01604 837804 or email mayor@northampton.gov.uk

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News

CO TENTS

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SLOWTHAI If a pigeon can fly why can’t I?

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Viking and Saxons Whose side were we on?

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HAMPER Winner’s answer revealed

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Oo Bette A proper star

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NMF 3am eternal

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KIDS ON BIKES Parents getting increasingly concerned about youths

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RICHARD III What a character

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HARE The magical creature

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LEGEND Farewell to Mitch

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Editorial

Brexit, lunch and dinner

’ve always thought there was something hauntingly familiar about the Brexit debate and I’ve just realised what it is.

It’s very much like one of those spontaneous decisions to eat out. Someone’s looked in the fridge, they can’t see any of their favourites in there and they’ve started a campaign to go out for dinner.

Now the remainers have got all the meals for the week budgeted, they know what needs using, yes it might be a bit similar to last week but frankly, we can’t have chips every night and that’s that. In addition someone has also ordered takeaway so a spending commitment has been made.

The leavers on the other hand fall into two distinct camps. Those who want to pay for the takeaway and decide where we are going before stepping out of the house and those who just want to go, dodge the takeaway bill and decide where we’re eating when we get there.

The problem in the argument that follows is that at some point the joyous dream of a glamorous night out of fine dining and revelry must translate into an actual decision about where to eat.

Are we going Chinese, American or Indian? Who can deny the attraction of these culinary giants? Who can agree which is best? We’ve all been in these pre-dinner debates where you go round the room and everyone has a different suggestion for the eaterie that should get our custom.

To be fair to Labour, going out for dinner was not their idea and they are not the Government, so it is not their job to deliver it. But let’s face it, they are not helping.

They are more or less suggesting a barbecue in the back garden: not out enough

to satisfy the leavers and not in enough to please the remainers.

The Greens of course want to remain because they have grown some potatoes at the allotment and if they don’t get used soon they will go to waste. Yes it’s a fresh, healthy, tasty, economically attractive option that would lead to a better quality of life for everyone from the Greens but when do we ever listen to them?

The Brexit Party is apparently what we listen to - a single clear restating of the point of difference. You said we were going out to dinner, let’s just go. We’re hungry, let’s just go. When are we going out to dinner? Let’s just go…

I have to say the tactic reminds me somewhat of the younger members of my family. They are not wrong as far as their limited take on the situation goes but sooner or later going out has to become sitting down to dinner somewhere.

My big fear is that we will end up, as it so often does in these situations, in the drive thru at MacDonalds.

On a more down to earth note you will see that we have teamed up with The Carlsberg Food Awards, Made in Northamptonshire and the Northamptonshire Year of Food and Drink to produce a guide to some of the best places to eat and drink in the county.

So at least you won’t have trouble deciding where to get your actual dinner!

Steve Scoles

The paper used within this publication has been sourced from chain of custody certified manufacturers, operating within international environmental standards, to ensure sustainable sourcing of the raw materials, sustainable production and to minimise our carbon footprint.

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The Team Steve Scoles Editor

nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

Hilary Scott Hackademic

nenequirer@gmail.com @nosylocaljourno 07517378173

Alex Stockton Cricket writer

nenequirer@gmail.com @alexjstockton 07517378173

Tre Ventour

Culture vulture nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

Richard Hollingum Captain of the fields

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Mike Ingram

Historian nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

Lena Davis

Reviewing the Situation nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

Julie Teckman

Hip young gunslinger nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

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When Slowthai went back to college

NQ joins the UK’s hottest new rapper as he inspires Northampton students Steve Scoles Editor

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nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 01604 550037

hat’s good?” Slowthai has had the briefest of introductions to the students in the packed lecture theatre at Northampton College and now he is asking the questions.

“What’s good? What’s good?” he demands and the students are doing what people do in this situation – not saying anything, not thinking that he is expecting them to have the answer. He steps forward and looks someone directly in the eye.

“What’s good?”

Now he’s moving up the gangway between the two banks of seats. He tells someone to sit up straight like a teacher would but also like a teacher wouldn’t. The F-bomb goes off when he speaks. It just happens. He laughs at how he sounds like “one of those inspirational speakers” but that is exactly what he is like. Ripples of awkward but excited laughter stir around the room. It is like lights switching on all over the lecture theatre.

“What’s good?”

Someone’s big moment finally arrives: “Everything!” comes the answer.

Slowthai makes us all sit up straight and chorus it back at him.

“What’s good?” he asks, and wants the response to come from deep within our chests.

“Everything!” it comes out full force.

Slowthai is present and so, finally, are we.

He was up late the night before drinking champagne because his album, Nothing Great About Britain, is being launched today.

He’s refusing the plates of biscuits because he has “champagne bloat” but he passes the plates round the students when one of them cheekily uses the Q&A to ask for a jammy dodger. He wants them to ask for more. He wants them to expect more.

“I was like you. I sat there like you. I was in this lecture theatre four or five times. I sat there and there and there. We had a talk about crashes from the fire service, about how important it is to wear a seatbelt. Now I wear a seatbelt…”

The pious conclusion to that anecdote elicits another burst of laughter because Slowthai is like the living embodiment of too cool for school.

He freely admits he wasn’t the good kid in the class when he started out at college. He turned up late. He missed lessons. He wasn’t the star pupil and he felt the same as the students do when they just aren’t up for it, but his message is that he really values what his college years gave him.

“I could have been a dickhead. Yes you do your work and you get your qualifications but the whole experience of being at Northampton College turned me round. The people I met. The things they showed me.

You have to take from it what is right for you, be who you are meant to be.”

Slowthai picks out a slightly alarmed blond-haired young man from his entourage at the front of the lecture theatre.

“This is my best friend Rufus. I met him at the college. We used to sit up at the back in the corner there. He introduced me to so many ideas. He showed me so much.”

Rufus is blushing but we are being introduced to everyone with Slowthai. Ellis does the camera work. Duckman does the clothes and Lewis, a former film-making student at Northampton College, is the manager and also Slowthai’s cousin.

“You have to surround yourself with good people who feed you ideas and their vibe so you know about things. If you sit at home and do drugs all day what are you going to know about? Drugs.”

Far from looking like he has a champagne hangover Slowthai is buzzing with warmth and energy. He wants these students to believe in themselves and take themselves seriously. He picks out a student in the third row.

“What’s your instrument?” he asks, modestly assuming that the appeal of this lecture is mainly to music students.

“I’m studying acting,” is the reply.

“What’s your monologue?” Slowthai comes back without missing a beat.

“I don’t have a monologue…” is the understandable but wrong answer.

“You’ve got to have a monologue. I would love to do the Joker’s monologue…” Slowthai slips into character as Batman’s arch enemy

and reels off a couple of lines of dialogue.

“What are you going to do when you’re in McDonalds and Quentin Tarantino walks in? Hey Quentin Tarantino listen to my monologue!”

He picks out another student and teases out of him that he is a drummer.

“Don’t be embarrassed to be a drummer.

Do it every day. Give me your details. That’s how it works. Someone needs some drumming, you do some drumming for them, you get paid to be a drummer. It’s not embarrassing to get paid.”

In the blink of an eye Slowthai is passing his phone across so the young drummer can put his details in and I’m having to remind myself that this is a 25-year-old Northampton guy and new talent, not some showbiz veteran with years of experience holding an audience in the palm of his hand.

“I was the weirdo sitting in the corner who kept trying and failing. Keep failing.

Keep failing until the people who are laughing at you run out of things to say. You can learn so much from failing. Do it. You’ll get there in the end.”

When a student asks him what his Plan B was, Slowthai grins his already familiar ugly-beautiful grin and says: “I can’t say what my Plan B was.”

He does however sum up the other life he might have lived as: “Being a dickhead.”

He talks about losing the job he got after college. He got sacked for giving a friend a discount in Next and on his walk home, his feet soaked by a walk across a sodden Abington Park, he came up with the track T N Biscuits which is his first track that really ‘blew up’.

Now Nothing Great About Britain is the Guardian’s Album of the Week and Slowthai proudly crows about the five star review.

Reviewer Alexis Petridis is thrilled with Slowthai’s brand of edgy punk powered rap.

While Slowthai speaks to the college students the track Inglorious, featuring Skepta, is trending on YouTube with over 300,000 views even before he has passed round the biscuits.

When you browse through the tracks on his YouTube channel it’s gritty and authentic but there is intelligence everywhere: in the look, the sound and the lyrics. If you are

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June 19 going to be offended then it will be by his truth.

Northampton is the other thing that is everywhere. Ugly-beautiful Noho is the backdrop for his work in video after video and he is not ashamed of it. Alan Moore, who Slowthai first met simply by spotting him walking through town and saying hello, appears on screen. They have a lot more in common than might be apparent at first glance: two Boroughs boys with a have-a-go philosophy, wanting people to believe in themselves and believe that when we are doing our thing we are all good enough, no matter where we come from.

“I love Northampton, I will never leave it. I have been all round the world this year but when I get back here it just smells like home,” Slowthai says.

After the talk the plan is for Slowthai to retreat to another room to avoid being stuck

in a swarm of people wanting photos. But Slowthai wants to know where the smoking area is so everyone moves through the corridors. You can hear the murmurs of recognition passing among the students down the hallway.

“That’s Slowthai…”

“No it isn’t…”

“What’s he doing here?”

It’s busy out in the smoking area. Some bolder students come up and say hello but there is a lot of smiling and discrete gawping going on. As he makes he way back down the corridor there is soon a shoal of selfie hunters around him and Slowthai has time for everyone.

I ask the Duckman if they have a couple of big Range Rovers out in the parking lot.

“We’re not about that. For a start, none of us can drive,” he smiles.

Slowthai has to get away for his album

News NQ launch event at the independent record shop Spun Out in Gold Street. By the time he is due to perform at The Garibaldi later in the evening, Spun Out will have sold out. He thinks 2019 has been a great year but to me it looks like it is just the start.

The visit is a coup for Music and Performing Arts Curriculum Manager Sarah Thursby: “I just reached out through their main contact email at first and once I got talking to Lewis they were really keen to help.”

Before Slowthai, aka Tyron Frampton, heads off to continue being all that he can be (there is maybe another album and down the line work in other media seems likely, maybe a graphic novel) I invite him to come up with a coverline for the next edition of the NQ. He thinks for a bit and traces his finger across the copy I have given him as inspiration.

“If a pigeon can fly, then why can’t I?”

How Further Education made a difference to Slowthai: ‘At Northampton College my world got bigger overnight’ Northampton College’s report on the visit of Slowthai, which occured during Love Our Colleges Week, by Dan Owens “Coming to Northampton College gave me the chance to open my mind and see the world from another perspective.

It allowed me to meet people I‘d never normally meet, I listened to them and learnt from them. My world got bigger overnight.”

With his debut album earning five star reviews, collaborations in the bag with the likes of Skepta and performances at Reading and Leeds Festivals booked in for the summer, former Northampton College music technology student Tyron Frampton (better known as slowthai) is on the verge of the big time.

But the grime artist, regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the UK, is not letting the success change him.

“I’m not leaving Northampton” he said, during a visit to Booth Lane just hours after his critically-acclaimed album ‘Nothing Great About Britain’ dropped. “I love the people here, I love my family and I love the smell of the air. This year I have travelled more than ever, I’ve seen South Africa, I’ve seen Dubai but I feel like I belong here in Northampton.

“You have to stay true to yourself in life. Surround yourself with good people who will tell you straight, not just what they think you want to hear and do what’s right for you. That’s what will set you apart. That’s what will make you different.”

His experiences at home in Northampton have shaped much of the content of his album. “We’re all a product of our environment and conditioned by the

people around us” he says, while handing around a plate of chocolate digestives and jammie dodgers to current students who have come to listen to him in the lecture theatre at Booth Lane.

“I wrote ‘T N Biscuits’ after getting my new loafers filthy while walking in the mud in Abington Park on the day I lost my job in Next. I’d got sacked for giving my mate a discount on a new suit and I thought ‘nah, this ain’t for me’. I couldn’t do that job, I needed to focus on music.

“I started writing and I worked hard.

I’d sleep on the floors of music studios in London for weeks on end. I’d churn out 1,000 rubbish songs in the hope of finding five good ones. I’ve never been afraid of failing. Keep on trying because every failure is a lesson. Fail until you can fail no more, then you will find success.”

The 24-year-old is certainly finding success right now. He was a Level 3 Music Technology student at the college in 2011 and, since leaving, has established himself as one of the hottest new acts in the UK. He’s been named one of the BBC’s top five acts to watch in 2019 and is quickly earning a worldwide reputation for his progressive lyrics and unique style blending grime, rap, dubstep and garage.

He was listed at number four in the BBC’s Sounds of 2019 poll – an annual search for the artists most likely to break into the mainstream over the next 12 months. His music has been championed

by Radio 1 and he has recently returned from a sell-out European tour.

It’s all a long way from his upbringing on a Northampton council estate but staying true to his roots is a key part of slowthai’s message. He has enlisted the help of his cousin and another former

Northampton College student, Lewis Levi, to act as his manager and best mate Rufus, who he met at Booth Lane, is his right hand man.

“Rufus is probably my biggest influence” said slowthai. “If I hadn’t have come to college and met this guy, none of this would have happened. I was ignorant to the world that existed outside of my little circle but he enabled me to see what else was out there.

“My time at college allowed me to make better choices in life. I could easily have gone down a very different path but thankfully I chose music.”

Spending an hour with current students before heading off to sign copies of his album for fans, slowthai had plenty of advice for young musicians looking to follow in his footsteps.

He said: “If you’re a fish in the ocean don’t stay in your little rock pool, get out there, have a swim and see who’s around.

Keep knocking on doors, work out where you want to be, who you want to work with and find a way of getting there.

Most importantly, say everything and do everything as though you mean it, no half measures. Carry yourself properly, be a decent person and be confident.”

His album launch coincided with Love Our Colleges week – a national campaign to lobby Government to put Further Education at the heart of the forthcoming spending review – and slowthai had a special message for Prime Minister Theresa May. “People need education and colleges give people an alternative view on life, the ability to have confidence in themselves and to learn and grow. They deserve support.”

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The story of Slowthai Official bio of exciting young rapper from Northampton hailed as a fresh new voice on the UK music scene

slowthai bio - 20 19

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day. “Wh and pilla it s, the road g the ging and at ’s And yet, i so great s: killing, a n the clos about B nd taking ing bars, the peop other peo ritain? w le that m ple’s cult ake Brita hen Ty growls, “ together ure Hand on h in g , because ea your fam reat,” he explain

s. “The w rt, I’m proud to b ily, your commun hole albu e British,” Largely re ity and th m co e bonds w ’s about commu he means it. “It’s succession rded in early 20

nit e have as 18 people is y and coming loom in T of candid snapsh in East London, w all that m ots of Bri y’s viscer it h K at w ters.” es D tish al Tarantin o-referen verses, but so too life. Drugs, disaf arko producing, the albu cin fe d Leaves’ c m serves elebrates g ‘Inglorious’, th oes hope, love an ction, depression u p e a d a cu p d n Ty preac hes the im tting off toxic rel air warn haters, “ efiance. Linking d the threat of vio up with S at C lence all portance

ke of being ionships, while on ome up against u s and you pta for the present in ‘Grow U Those fam ’ll fail.” ‘D p’ - featu the mom iliar with ring Birm ea ent.

Ty’s pre Great Ab ingham M d vious form ou C Jaykae badmou to date a t Britain less exp

thing Bre licitly pol record th xi it at he hop decision t es will “re ical than expecte t and trolling Ther o d. This la sonate w es political r deal unflinchingl a M ay might ck o ith y with pai ecord. find Noth nful perso people 40 years d f specifics is born

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ctual fact at make h m’s focal p , i is debut oint is un upbringi such a dee ts Ty’s ng qu ply mum’s ten informed by finan estionably the au tob ci acious sp on the al irit and s al struggle and ad iographical closi bu elfl ng track. ve A s can pay y m’s opening track, ess dedication to rsity, ‘Northamp ton’s Chil earing account of ou back / here he her famil cr d’ finds T an y.

I just hop

y e I can m owns his mother Having knocked as his “on the Royal praising his ake you p roud.” ly Queen s off thei r ”, before confessin pedestal g “No way I

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June 19

History

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History

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We’re a little bit Saxon and a little bit Viking

Northampton changed hands several times in its early history Mike Ingram

Historian nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 01604 550037

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hroughout its early history, what would eventually be known as Northamptonshire became a centre for royal administration and home to Kings and Queens. It would also be devastated first by Saxons and then

by Vikings. Although much of the physical evidence of this important part of our past is now lost, we can still see glimpses in our stunning churches or from archaeology.

Exactly why and when the Anglo-Saxons first arrived in Britain has been hotly debated for many years. However, by the fifth century, what would eventually become Northamptonshire was part of a Saxon territory known as Cynwidion. There were many small settlements scattered all over the area. One such settlement was established on the top of a hill above the confluence of two branches of the River Nene. The site seems to have been occupied since the early Mesolithic Period and 3,000 flints dating from the bronze age were found in a hollow near Chalk Lane in Northampton. Roman artefacts were also discovered on the castle site. However, it was probably around the old Roman crossroads of what is today Gold Street/Marefair and Horsemarket (A508) that the Saxon settlement was established. It would be known as Hamtune (home farm in Old English). And, over time, this settlement would become known as Northampton and the county town for fledgling Northamptonshire.

In the late 570’s it is recorded that the Welsh King Catocus, also known as St. Cadog the Wise, one of the most important Welsh Saints came to Beneventum (Bannaventa) in Calchwynedd. Beneventum was a small Romano-British fortified town, 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of the modern village of Norton on the old Roman road of Watling Street.

Although the town was in ruins, there seems to have been a substantial monastery with a large body of monks. Catocus was elected Abbot and inspired the inhabitants to set about rebuilding the town. In thanks, they created him their first Bishop. On 24th Jan-

uary AD 580, Bannaventa was raided by Saxons. Catocus was run through with a spear and killed in his own church. For many years the invaders would not let the British claim his body, but eventually he was transferred to Llancarfan near Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales where he now lies buried.

Within a hundred years Northamptonshire had become an undifferentiated part of the Saxon kingdom of Mercia.

Mercian Northamptonshire seems to have been divided into three provinces centred on the major estates of King’s Sutton in the south, Northampton in the centre and Oundle in the north. Oundle is probably the site of the monastery where St Wilfrid died in 709. Archbishop of York Wulfstan, who died in 956 was also buried there. The site may have been abandoned or destroyed in a Viking raid at the end of the ninth century.

To date, no remains of the monastery or the administrative centre have been found. In 655 a monastery was founded by Peada, son of King Penda of Mercia, and completed by Peada’s brother King Wulfhere at a place called Medehamstede on the north bank of the River Nene. It would be later renamed as Peterborough.

Sometime before the death of King Wulfhere in 675 Sexwulf, bishop of Mercia founded Brixworth Abbey. It would become the Brixworth Church that now stands on the site and many elements from the original building are still visible today. Beginning in 742 and for the next 150 years, a series of important synods attended by Anglo-Saxon kings, bishops, abbots and nobles were held at a place called ‘Clofeshoch.’ It was the first parliamentary system known to have operated in the British Isles and it is generally thought that Brixworth was the site they were held. Over time Brixworth church was modified and in the 10th century, the iconic tower and stair turret were built. It is one of only four surviving Anglo-Saxon stair turrets in England. Another can also be found in Northants at Barnack.

Another nationally important Saxon Tower was built in Earls Barton probably sometime between 930 and 970. A local story tells that after the rebuilding of the Abbey of St. Peter, Medeshamstede (Peterborough) in 959, the workmen came to Barton. Standing

19m tall, up to the later battlements and supported on foundations of rubble only 2030 cm thick, it is the most complete example of a late Saxon church tower in the country.

Directly behind the church is an earthwork known today as Berry Mount. This may have been a Saxon burh - a defensible centre of population. Another suggestion is that it is an earlier pagan burial site. One local legend says that there is a whole army buried beneath it! Other fine examples of Saxon Churches can be found in the county at Geddington, Greens Norton, Nassington, Pattishall and Stowe Nine Churches.

In March 1997 at Wollaston, near Wellingborough, the grave of a high-status, late seventh century Saxon warrior of around 25 years old was discovered in a gravel-quarry.

In the shallow grave, possibly laid on a bed was a pattern welded sword, a small knife, a hanging bowl, three iron buckles and a copper alloy clothes hook. With them were fragments of a helmet with a boar crest. It is one of only three of its type to be discovered in England.

It was in the year 793 that the Danes came.

It began with a major raid on the Northumbrian monastery at Lindisfarne (although there is evidence of a small raid four years earlier in Devon). The next decade saw major raids along most of the southern and eastern coasts of England. The first part of the ninth century saw the Vikings concentrating on Ireland and the north and west of England and Scotland. Then in 835 “The great heathen army” led by Ivar the Boneless arrived and began a series of major raids on the whole of England. Instead of raiders they became settlers and in 866, the Danes captured York. Three years later the Great Army marched south and Ivar the Boneless and his brother Ubba sacked Peterborough.

Only a young boy survived who they kept as a pet. With the ever-present threat of Viking raids, the old iron age hillfort of Borough Hill at Daventry was brought back into use and in the 10th century, a Saxon charter describes it as a burh. Two or three Saxon burials were found on the hill and, unusually, some Viking weapons which may suggest that it was attacked at some point.

By this time Hamtune had probably become both a Minster and a centre for

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June 19 administration with a royal palace. In the late 700’s a large rectangular timber hall 30 meters long and 8.5 metres wide with 6.35 metre square annexes at each end was built.

The design was sophisticated for its time with the hall possibly divided into nine bays and opposing doors on the long sides. To the immediate west was another large timber building 16 metres long by 8.75 metres wide.

At the beginning of the eighth century, the hall was replaced by a larger stone hall 37.5 metres long and 11.5 metres wide with plastered walls 1.2 metres thick and a mortar floor. It is without parallel in England and closely resembles Carolingian palace complexes in Germany. Next to it and now mostly under the current St. Peter’s Church was another stone building which may have been an earlier church or Minster.

In November 869, the Great Heathen Army advanced on East Anglia where they defeated and executed King Edmund (later to become St. Edmund) at Hoxne in Suffolk.

LOOK OUT FOR THE ELEPHANT ON THE ROOF !

According to one account, his nephew Ragner was executed with him. Almost all we know about Ragner comes from a short Latin text, surviving in two late-medieval manuscripts, which describes how his relics were supposedly discovered at St Peter’s Church in Northampton in the 11th century. It says that Ragner died alongside St. Edmund and was therefore a martyr and saint. There is a reference to Ragner in a 12th-century text from Peterborough but no other source mentions him. The current St Peter’s church was probably built between 1130 and 1140

by Simon Senlis II, sometimes the fourth Earl of Northampton. It has some of the finest early Norman carvings in England and reminiscent of the church of St Mary and St. David at Kilpeck in Herefordshire including a beautiful Saxon grave-cover or part of a stone cross which has been suggested as being associated with St Ragner’s shrine.

Whilst little else is known about St. Ragnar, it is recorded that in the 15th century the

History NQ feast of St Ragner was still being celebrated at St Peter’s on 21 November, the day after St Edmund’s.

In 871 Alfred became King of Wessex and Ivar the Boneless was succeeded by Guthrum. After a number of years of fighting, the two agreed to a peace treaty in 878, known as the Peace of Wedmore. Guthrum converted to Christianity and all the lands to the north of Watling Street (the modern A5) were to become Viking lands and known as Danelaw. All the lands south of Watling Street were claimed as Saxon. Exactly when Northampton came under Danish control or whether it was taken by force is unclear.

But after the Peace of Wedmore it became a Viking frontier town and an inland port with its own army.

Considering its importance, the Saxon town must have been fortified by the Saxons, although archaeological evidence points towards the Danes building a Burh around the town. It has been estimated to have ramparts 3,000 ft (0.9 km) in length with an earthen or clay rampart, faced with wood or stone and topped with a wooden palisade. and surrounded by an 8 metre wide and 2 metre deep ditch. The burh ramparts seem to have extended as far north as Bath Street and to College Street to the west and Black Lion Hill in the east, where numerous artefacts have been discovered. The earliest All Saints church seems to have been built outside the east gate.

After the death of Alfred in 899, his eldest son Edward was proclaimed king. Ten years later he began a campaign to recapture the Midlands and East Anglia. In 913 it is recorded that the Northampton Danes invaded Mercian territories. They were initially very successful. However, as they returned, they were defeated by local Mercian forces near Luton, losing many horses and weapons.

The following year their strength was further depleted when a number of Northampton Danes submitted to Edward at Bedford.

A truce between the Northampton Danes and King Edward followed. It lasted until soon after Easter 917, when an army from Northampton and Leicester commanded

by Thurferth slew many men at Hookerton (Hook Norton) and thereabout.

King Edward began a programme of building Burhs along the Danelaw border and in early 921 ordered his men to go to Towcester, then part of the royal manor of Greens Norton, and to rebuild it. That summer, the Northampton and Leicester Danes shattered the peace once more and attacked Towcester. The fighting lasted all day until King Edward with the whole West-Saxon army arrived and forced the Danes to retreat. To ensure that the Danes would not try again, Edward and his army camped at Passenham whilst Towcester was refortified with a stone wall. It was at this point that Thurferth and his captains, and all the army that belonged to Northampton and northward to the Welland, submitted to Edward.

The bury (burh) element, combined with the personal name Witela, in Whittlebury

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June 19

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EARLY to middle period Saxon clothing and helmet

may suggest the presence of a hillfort (now occupied by the parish church) held by a Saxon nobleman. According to one of his law-codes, Edward’s son, Æthelstan, held a council at Whittlebury in about 930.

When Edward died in July 924, Æthelstan was accepted by the Mercians as king. Æthelstan encountered resistance in Wessex for several months and was not crowned until September 925. In 927 he conquered the last remaining Viking kingdom, York, making him the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of the whole of England. In 934 Northampton was incorporated into the enlarged Earldom of East Anglia. When Wessex annexed Mercia in the 10th century, it subdivided the area into various shires of roughly equal size and tax-raising potential or hidage. These generally took the name of the main town (the county town) of the county, along with “-shire”. It is possible that Northamptonshire had already been created by this time and represented a 9th-century division of the Danelaw between units of the Danish army.

In 941, then in the hands of the Mercians, Northampton faced an unsuccessful siege

by King Olaf of York. A massed grave of warriors complete with armour, weapons and horses found outside the burh during the late 1800’s in St. John’s Street may relate to the battle. The ‘army’ of Northampton was still in existence in 984 when they were recorded witnessing the sale of land. Northampton and Towcester were not the only places to suffer as in 975 it was recorded that Leofsi son of Bixi, ‘an enemy of God,’ captured Kettering. However, two years later Aethelwold, Bishop of Winchester negotiated its return to Peterborough’s control.

During the reign of Æthelred (978 -1016) the Viking attacks on England started again.

In the 980’s Viking raids along the Welsh coast were extended to include south-west England. At the same time attacks on London and the south-east began from the North Sea and Scandinavia. Sweyn Forkbeard campaigned in Wessex and East Anglia in 1003–1004, and during 1009–1012 Thorkell the Tall led a Viking invasion into England.

Thorkell was a warlord of the ferocious Jomvikings, an order of Viking mercenaries.

They were staunchly Pagan and dedicated to the worship of such deities as Odin and Thor. In late 1010 Thorkell arrived outside the walls of Northampton. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written in Peterborough, tells how he burned the town down and took much spoils before burning his way across Wessex.

In August 1013, Sweyn Forkbeard returned, leading a full-scale invasion. On Christmas Day 1013 Sweyn was declared King of England. It is probable that at this time his son Cnut (or Canute) married Ælfgifu of Northampton. Ælfgifu was a daughter of Ælfhelm, ealdorman of southern Northumbria, who was from an important Mercian noble family. Ælfhelm was murdered in 1006, probably at the command of King Æthelred the Unready, and Ælfgifu’s brothers, Ufegeat and Wulfheah, were blinded. It was probably at this time Ælfgifu came to live at the palace complex in Northampton.

After ruling for only five weeks, Sweyn died. His younger son, Cnut, was proclaimed King of England by the people of the Danelaw. However, Æthelred forced Cnut to flee back to Denmark leaving his wife and their baby son, Svein, the future King of Norway, behind with her family probably in Northampton. Cnut returned with another army defeating Æthelred’s forces and in 1016 to become king of all England. In 1015 or 1016

Ælfgifu became pregnant again and she gave birth to Harold, later known as Harefoot (the name probably refers to his speed). Her two sons were to figure prominently in the empire which their father built in northern Europe, though not without opposition.

Sometime after his conquest of England, Cnut married Emma of Normandy, the widow of King Æthelred. It was then regarded as acceptable to put aside one wife and take another, a practice which might be described as “serial monogamy.” The two had a son together named Harthacnut.

Sometime after 1017 it is recorded that King Cnut visited the Royal palace at Nassington in the north of the county, now Prebenal Manor, the oldest surviving house in Northamptonshire. In 2003 a ‘Time Team’ excavation found evidence of a timber hall inside and outside the current medieval manor. Cnut was accompanied by Aetheric, the bishop of Dorchester on Thames and large entourage and it is recorded that they engaged in a game of chess after a banquet.

The hall was too small to accommodate everyone and many of his retinue were forced to find lodgings in neighbouring settlements. According to the Ramsey Chronicles, Aetheric stayed in the nearby Dane’s house in Elton.

Cnut extended the grouping of shires under a single ealdorman, dividing the country into four large administrative units.

The officials responsible for these provinces were designated earls and Thuri Ulfson was styled “earl of the Midlanders.”

In 1030, Cnut sent Ælfgifu with their eldest son Svein to rule Norway, in 1030. Their rule was, however, so harsh that in 1034 or 1035 the Norwegians rebelled against them. Svein was killed and Ælfgifu was driven out. Upon the death of Cnut on 12 November 1035,

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June 19 Harthacnut, the son of Cnut and his queen Emma of Normandy, was the legitimate heir to the thrones of both the Danes and the English. However, he could not return to England because his Danish kingdom was under threat of invasion by King Magnus I of Norway. So, England’s magnates installed Harold Harefoot, Cnut’s son with Ælfgifu, as king of England instead. Like so many before him, Harold I’s reign was short as he died at Oxford on 17 March 1040 aged 24. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, but when Harthacnut assumed the throne in June 1040, Harold’s body was exhumed, beheaded, and thrown into a fen bordering the Thames.

The body was subsequently recovered by fishermen, and resident Danes reportedly had it reburied at their local cemetery in London. The body was eventually reburied in St. Clement Danes church in the City of Westminster. Another source says he was buried in Winchester with his father.

Northamptonshire’s first earl was Siward.

He was one of the many Scandinavians who came to England with Cnut and rose to become sub-ruler of most of northern England. In 1040, Siward was created the Earl of Northampton and in 1050, Earl of Huntingdon. In 1054, he fought Mac Bethad mac Findlaích near the Firth of Forth. The encounter was immortalised by Shakespeare in his play Macbeth which has Siward as the leader of the English army, some ten thousand strong which defeats Macbeth at the end of the play. Siward died in 1055, leaving one son, Waltheof but as he was too young

to inherit his father’s titles, the Earldom of Northumbria was given to Tostig Godwinson – brother of Harold.

Waltheof finally became Earl of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire in 1065.

However, a rebellion against Tostig started in Northumbria. Led by Morcar, the rebels marched southwards gathering the men of Nottingham, Derby, and Lincoln as they went. At Northampton, Morcar met his brother Ēadwine Earl of Mercia, who was at the head of another large army.

They were met at Northampton by Harold Godwinson (the future King Harold) who took their demands to Edward the Confessor who was king at the time. It was eventually agreed that Tostig should be replaced by Morcar. Whilst Harold was gone, Northampton was burned and pillaged by the rebels.

They took took many hundred prisoners northward with them when they returned north, “so that not only that shire, but others near it were the worse for many winters.” The Northamptonshire Geld Roll (c.1070) records 900 hides, about a third of the county, was waste before they left.

Tostig went to Norway where he raised an army with Harald Hardrada, King of Norway. In 1066, they landed in the north of England and fought Morcar two miles (3 km) south of York at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September. The battle was a decisive victory for Harald and Tostig. Harold Godwinson, who was king by this point, rushed his army north to deal with the invaders, defeating them at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. It was

History NQ at this point that Harold discovered William the Conqueror and his Normans had invaded England from the south, which meant he had to march south at great speed to face the threat. The two armies met at Hastings and the rest as they say, is history. Now, here is one of the great what if’s. If events in Northampton in 1065 had a different outcome and Tostig had not gone to Norway, Harold would not have had to march north.

He would have been in the south with a fullstrength army when William arrived. Would he have won?

Waltheof, Earl of Northampton, was the only Saxon earl to retain his position under William the Conqueror’s new regime.

However, in 1075 Waltheof joined the Revolt of the Earls against William and was arrested and sentenced to death. He then spent almost a year in confinement before being beheaded on 31 May 1076 at St. Giles’s Hill, near Winchester. He was buried in the chapter house of Crowland Abbey in Lincolnshire and for many years’, miracles were reported at his tomb. Waltheof had married Judith of Lens, William’s niece and they had three children together. Their eldest, Maud, first married Simon Senlis I, who became the third Earl of Northampton. On Simon’s death, she married King David I of Scotland who obtained the earldom and Judith’s extensive lands throughout the county, but not the county town and castle. Simon’s son Simon II was also recognized as earl in about 1141 and the title was contested for many years to come.

THE FLOWERS ARE OUT, OUR GARDEN LOOKS BEAUTIFUL. IT JUST NEEDS YOU. POP IN AND SAY HELLO, AND MAYBE STAY A WHILE.

ON-SITE BREWERY. CASK ALES, BIKES, BEERS AND GOOD TIMES.

NQ

News

June 19

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Smiths and Sauls hamper winner is Catherine

CATHERINE Nixon with Adrian Smith

“Amazing!” is how our Smiths and Sauls hamper winner described her prize when she collected it from Smiths Farm Shop.

Catherine Nixon from Northampton won the hamper of local goodies with her response to the question, tell us what your favourite food and drink treats are.

She said: “My favourite local food is Brixworth pate on sour dough toast from the Good Loaf, washed down with a Saxby’s

cider.”

Brixworth Pate and Good Loaf sour dough got mentioned a number of times among the entries.

Smiths Farm Shops at Billing and Chapel Brampton and Sauls Butchers of Spratton are both big champions of local produce which helps sustain Northamptonshire jobs as well as reducing the journey miles food has to take before it reaches our plates.

It also opens up a varied world of tasty local products that are not shackled by the needs of mainstream brands to have a broad appeal across the whole country. This is why farmshop food is distinctive and flavoursome but supermarket food can be bland.

You can find out more about Smiths at these websites: www.saulsofspratton.co.uk/ www.smithsfarmshop.co.uk/

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June 19

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When bike fun turns violent: are we letting our kids drift into trouble?

W

e were walking the dog, taking my daughter on her bike to meet friends on Northampton’s Racecourse, writes Hilary Scott.

Coming from the Barrack Road entrance, we passed two young lads practicing wheelies on bikes. It was around midday on Sunday May 19. We had a short conversation with the two boys about the best tips for doing a wheelie: they were very polite and friendly.

Around an hour and half later, after dropping my daughter with friends, the dog and I walked back the same way to find a group of around seven other boys on bikes, and one of the original ‘wheelie’ boys we had spoken to standing away to the side of the old toilets sobbing, being consoled by his friend while the others rode around them.

I asked what whether he was OK, he said he’d been beaten up and that his bike had been smashed up. The other boys still circled on their bikes. I turned and asked what had gone on, one of two said ‘he’s a racist’. I asked why, and there were shouts of, ‘he said the N word’. The crying boy denied it, sobbing louder. There followed a debate about whether this had been said a week before, or at all, as the crying boy’s friend said it was the second time they had beaten him up.

I was angry and asked each boy I could see staying around, sitting astride bikes, ‘was this you? Is this how to behave? Is ganging up and beating someone up how you deal with things, big man?’

Another woman with a dog, and an Eastern European accent

arrived, she also started shouting at them about violence being unacceptable: “You want to know what racism is? You have no idea, you are pathetic boys who use racism as an excuse for violence.” The gang of boys started to cycle away off towards Barrack Road, shouting at us to f*ck off as soon as far enough away not to be chased.

We stayed with the small boy, still holding his ribs although saying he was OK. He said he was in Year 7, (the first year of secondary school, so aged about 11 or 12 at most). His friend was also in year 7 and had apparently not been hurt. After establishing neither had phones with them, and that the victim lived further away than his friend, we went to look at the damaged bike, which was smashed to bits; the wheels off, the gears mangled, and we could only find one of the pieces to thread the wheels back on. Two other white boys, with accents, arrived on bikes and started to try and help put the broken bike back together. I asked if they all knew each other. ‘No, but the same gang tried to beat us up and steal our bikes a couple of days ago,’ they explained. ‘Definitely the same ones?’

Yes. Definitely.

I asked the boys if they wanted to call the police – they hesitated at first. They said they knew who the bike boys were. They were clearly terrified. As we tried to work out what to do next I saw the gang on bikes appear at the bottom gate by Barrack Road, watching us. “I don’t want to walk home that way, they’ll follow us,” blurted

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June 19

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THE Racecourse is one of many large open community spaces that people should be able to use without fear

out the victim’s friend. At that point I rang the police, telling the kids that enough was enough. This needed sorting urgently.

At first the police call handler seemed keen to send someone immediately – he could tell there was a potential for further trouble.

But he came back after a pause to say there were no officers available as a serious missing persons search was underway, and that our call had been downgraded. The gang of boys on bikes had moved off towards town. I gave the call handler some details of what had happened, and the address of the nearest boy’s house where I was going to walk them to. ‘Did any of them have knives or any weapons?’ asked the call handler. The victims didn’t think so, and despite the recent news coverage, this was the first time it had even occurred to me that one of them might have had a knife. They were just kids on bikes, kids younger than my own boys.

By this time, it was starting to rain heavily, the bike couldn’t be mended so we carried it in bits. I phoned the loyal friend’s mum, explaining to her what had happened, not to worry and that we were on our way to their house if she could watch for them coming down the road.

They got home safely, and the friend’s mum texted me to say the victim’s dad had come to get him and his mangled bike. When I called the police a few days later they hadn’t even been round.

So, what happens next?

When you hear the news about kids getting stabbed, is this where it starts? A frightened kid wanting to defend himself from bigger kids? Or one of the boys in the group wanting to look harder, be braver, get respect?

Police resources are so stretched that it’s a lottery whether you get an immediate response to a call for help. Had there not been another emergency, the police might have rocked up in minutes and been able to catch these boys, who seem to be finding safety in numbers.

Chances are they don’t even know each other that well, and maybe they weren’t all involved. But hanging out on the edges of a gang like this, watching what goes on, feeling part of the action, makes you complicit. There’s no defence in not being the one doing the beating - and if it comes to court - you will be charged too.

If you’re a kid with a bike, where’s there to go? How many of you must there be to feel ‘safe’? What other resources are there around the Racecourse and other areas in our county towns for young teens to keep them from beating each other up in broad daylight? Nothing.

Welcome to austerity Britain.

And as long as we do nothing, and keep our heads down, and keep walking, and don’t ask our kids where they’ve been, and what they’ve been up to, more interested in our phones and our busy lives, are we then really surprised to hear stories like this?

Just a few days later, a 12-year-old boy was ambushed by a gang of 7-8 older boys, in broad daylight, in an alleyway between Kingsthorpe College and Parklands. The attackers, who were wearing white masks, pushed him off his bike, stole his bag, phone and bike and smashed him over the head with a rock - twice. He was hospitalised and although now recovering, (at least physically), they could have killed him. For a bike and a phone, and what, an adrenaline boost? To make a quick buck on Gumtree, no questions asked?

A day later, close to the back of Northampton International Academy, opposite the Racecourse entrance, another young boy was attacked on his way home from school, this time by three boys on bikes wearing black balaclavas. They threatened him with a knife and stole his bike.

Do you know where your kids are when they say they are going off on their bikes to meet their friends? Should you? Do you even ask? Just a day ago a fellow mum and I were mulling over letting our daughters out on their bikes alone, as we had done as kids at a much younger age. Would we after this? Nope, not until these stupid bikegang kids are dealt with once and for all.

We’ve lived near the Racecourse for 20 years without any issues, and there are plenty of good people who will defend our right to do so. But just today, walking the dog, I was told by a group of what looked like 12-year-olds to ‘f*ck off, you fat b*tch.’ The police need to act, and we as a community need to help them.

Someone knows who these thugs are, and they need to speak up before more lives are damaged.

SURPRISE YOURSELF! Your guide to great places to eat and drink in Northamptonshire!

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Food and Drink Guide

Northamptonshire Surprise Year of Food and Drink 2019

Rachel Mallows, MBE DL – Director of Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards, Made In Northamptonshire and member of Northamptonshire Surprise board Our sense of place comes from many things, and in Northamptonshire there is much to enjoy and promote about the place we live! The Britain’s Best Surprise campaign has been successfully honouring our historical legacy so far, celebrating in previous years our historic houses and churches alongside creating an extensive website that leads you to our visitor attractions, market towns, sports and parks (to name a few).

So why are we trumpeting the food and drink sector in 2019?

Food and drink manufacturing is the largest sector in the UK, accounting for 17% of all its manufacturing and it is a growing sector. Northamptonshire has more food and drink manufacturers than you’d expect – twice the national average - with output worth over £600m in 2016 according to the ONS. And between 1997 and 2016, output from food and drink manufacturers rose on average by 57% across the county.

The number of our local artisan food and drink producers has been steadily growing over the past ten years and it wouldn’t surprise you to know that I believe very strongly that buying local food is good for our independent businesses, good for understanding provenance of our food and better for the environment. We have an astonishing local food web supported by loyal local ‘foodies’. Made In Northamptonshire is

now an established local brand and has recently launched an online store to only sell products only made in Northamptonshire.

But the sector is more than manufacturing. Our sense of place is supported by those venues and eateries where we meet others, enjoy family get-togethers and relish food and drink. Cafés, restaurants and pubs in all their various and glorious guises are opportunities to taste food crafted by passionate chefs with, in many places, a celebration of local ingredients. They all add to our sense of place and are worthy of our patronage and our pound.

And yet many people say that they travel beyond the county to find a good place to eat. Running the county’s Food and Drink Awards, we get to see the Mystery Shopping reviews and external judging sheets that result in the selection of our finalists and winners from all our venues. I observe our young chefs and chefs at the competition cook-offs, which showcase some amazing culinary skills. Celebrity chefs who support and judge those competitive sessions all comment on the high standards and the consistent improvement year on year, as well as the creativity and innovation in the sector – strongly supported by the amazing culinary team at Northampton College. So, this section of the NeneQuirer is designed to enable us all to have a ready reference point for tasting great food to start to change that opinion. We need more people talking about the great food in our county – and that includes our pop-up restaurants, street food and catering.

As with all businesses, eateries are subject to staffing challenges and there is a real shortage of chefs across the country. Understandable when you think about the unsociable hours, but this will become an increasing issue if we are unable to attract and retain skilled people in the sector and in the

county. And if that weren’t enough, our tastes are so different. My idea of a great meal is probably very different from yours. This is such a subjective area, and yet one where, once again, I believe Northamptonshire wins because of the broad range of its offer!

My simple request during this year of food and drink then is to ask you to do two things; firstly to let us know the places and people you think are brilliant and secondly, when challenged about great places to eat in the county, never let anyone get away with saying that they have to go outside of Northamptonshire to find great food – whatever the style, taste and environment they enjoy! Because if we are to sustain and develop this sense of place - the very act of spending our pound locally and encouraging great chefs and venues to keep innovating and providing exquisite food - it needs all of us to proudly champion those places that offer food for the body and soul. I think you’ll find just what you’re looking for right here in the county - and that might just be a really rather tasty surprise! rachel@madeinnorthamptonshire.org This handy ‘pull out’ is designed to provide a helpful starting point to be able to eat out well at venues who have been winners, runners-up or finalists in our Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards ( www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk ) and/or are featured on the www.northamptonshiresurprise.com website.

All listings have been a winner, runner-up or finalist in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards since 2014 and/or feature on the Northamptonshire Britain’s Best Surprise website. All meet our current relevant FHRS. Please note that every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this directory.

Food and Drink Guide

Cafes and tea rooms

Dapper Sandwich Company Dapper Sandwich Company 205 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4ED www.dappersandwich.co 01604 621881 Dreams Coffee Lounge 59 St Giles’ Street Northampton NN1 1JF www.dreamscoffeelounge.co.uk 01604 636368 Evergreen Art Café 30 Sheaf Street Daventry NN11 4AB www.evergreenartcafe.co.uk 01327 878117 Forget Me Not Café Moulton Community Centre Moulton NN3 7AX www.forgetmenotmoulton.com 01604 499597 Limes Farm Limited Main Road Farthinghoe NN13 5PB www.limesfarm.com 01295 711 229

The Park Café

Pastures Poultry Farm Shop & Café Olney Road Yardley Hastings NN7 1HL www.pasturespoultry.co.uk 01604 696586 The Apothocoffee Shop 26 -28 The Square Earls Barton NN6 0NA www.jeyesofearlsbarton.co.uk/the-apothocoffee-shop 01604 810289 The Bread & Butter Factory 62 St Giles Street Northampton NN1 1JW www.thebreadandbutterfactory.co.uk 01604 628854 The Courtyard Café 6 Bishop’s Court Daventry NN11 4NP www.courtyardcafedaventry.co.uk 01327 872687

The Apothocoffee Shop Workbridge Coffee Shop Bedford Road Northampton NN4 7AD www.workbridge.org.uk 01604 872785 Kafe Bloc 4 Piccadilly Buildings Sheep St Kettering NN16 0AN www.kafebloc.com 01536 515517 Sheaf Street Health Store 28 Sheaf Street Daventry NN11 4AB 01327 312037

The Park Café Abington Park Northampton NN1 5LW 01604 628569

The Barn Café and Restaurant The Old Dairy Farm Craft Centre Upper Stowe NN7 4SH www.thebarnrestaurant.net 01327 349911

The Water Mill Tearooms Woodford Mill Ringstead NN14 4DU www.watermilltearooms.co.uk 01933 770630

The Old Barn Tea Rooms Mill Lane Wadenhoe PE8 5XD www.theoldbarnatwadenhoe.co.uk 01832 721129

Watermill Tearooms

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Food and Drink Guide

Restaurants including world cuisine Ali’s Indian Restaurant 33 Cambridge Street Wellingborough NN8 1DW www.alisindianrestaurant.co.uk 01933 223171 All Saint’s Bistro 3 George Row Northampton NN1 1DF www.allsaintsnorthampton.co.uk 01604 620015 Barton Hall Hotel and Vines Brasserie Barton Road Barton Seagrave NN15 6SG www.bartonhall.com 01536 515505 Bengal Brasserie 10 The Bullring Church Walk Thrapston NN14 4NP www.bengalbrasserie.net 01832 735620

ENJOY A DELICIOUS SUNDAY LUNCH AT KETTERING PARK HOTEL & SPA Try our Chefs table to start, followed by our speciality main course of 28 day aged Sirloin of beef carved tableside with Yorkshire pudding and rich gravy.

Our menu also features other delicious meat, fish and vegetarian/ vegan dishes.

All main courses are served with seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes brought to the table family style so you can help yourself.

From £20.95 for two courses

TO BOOK PLEASE CALL 01536 416666 ketteringparkhotel.co.uk Kettering Parkway, Kettering, NN15 6XT

Food and Drink Guide

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Brasserie 23 at The Kings Head 23 Brixworth Road Spratton NN6 8HH www.kingsheadspratton.co.uk 01604 847351 Bread & Circus Artisan Bakery & Evening Pizzeria 28 Sheaf Street Daventry NN11 4AB 01327 368100 Bread and Pullet 176 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4DZ www.breadandpullet.co.uk 01604 638520 Clary’s Restaurant at Aspers Casino 6 Commercial Street Northampton NN1 1PJ www.aspersnorthampton.co.uk 01604 623580 Dhan Shiri Bangladeshi & Indian Cuisine 10 Banbury Road Brackley NN13 6AU www.dhanshiriindian.co.uk 01280 841846 Exotic Dining 1st Floor, 3-5 Newland Street Kettering NN16 8JH www.dineexotic.co.uk 01536 411176 Franks Hamburger House Station Road Cogenhoe Northampton NN7 1NH www.frankshamburger.com 01604 948904 Karmana 79 Broadmead Avenue Northampton NN3 2RA www.karmana.co.uk 01604 409999 Kettering Park Hotel Kettering Parkway Kettering NN15 6XT www.ketteringparkhotel.co.uk 01536 416666 Lasaan 8 Whitehills Crescent Northampton NN2 8EP www.lasaan.co.uk 01604 844244

Nuovo

Mem-Saab 357-359 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4EU www.mem-saab.com 01604 630214

Murrays at Whittlebury Park Whittlebury Park Conference & Training Centre Whittlebury Park Whittlebury NN12 8QH www.whittlebury.com/dining/murrays 01327 850489

Mu Mu 42 Rockingham Road Kettering NN16 8JS www.mumushed.co.uk 01536 485855

Nuovo 104 Abington Street Northampton NN1 2BP www.nuovo-restaurant.co.uk 01604 601100

A family business in the heart of Daventry.

Serving high quality artisan bread and patisserie daily and evening pizzeria – all freshly baked inhouse.

Reservations for our licensed pizzeria via Facebook or by phone.

01327 368100

06

Food and Drink Guide

Restaurants including world cuisine

estaurant Kettering Kettering NN15 NN15 5LP 5LP

k

aurant

ering NN15 5LP

The Palmichael A Italian restaurant over serving the A family-run family-run Italianfamily restaurant for over 35 35 years years serving the An award winning run for restaurant serving the best best best of of Italian Italian cuisine cuisine using using the the finest finest Italian Italian and and local local produce. produce.

Italian cuisine using the finest Italian and local produce

Dinner Dinner –– Monday Monday to to Saturday: Saturday: 6pm-9pm 6pm-9pm last last order order Lunch – Tuesday to Friday: 12pm-2pm last Lunch – Tuesday to Friday: 12pm-2pm last order order

Olive Restaurant Grosvenor House George Street Corby NN17 1QB www.olivecorby.co.uk 01536 266066 Oren Pho 1 Gas Street Northampton NN1 1PY www.orenphobargrill.com 01604 373489

Restaurant Hibiscus 19-21 Guildhall Road For For further further menu menu information information and and updates updates on on special special events events please please visit visit our our website. website.

Northampton NN1 1DP twww.hehospitality.co.uk/hibiscus 01604 911073 A family-run Italian restaurant for over 35 years serving the

Sunday Sunday –– Closed Closed

Palmichael Restaurant

A family-run Italian restaurant for over 35 years serving the best of Italian cuisine using the finest Italian and local produce.

Fine Italian dining

Dinner – Monday to Saturday: 6pm-9pm last order

1 Kettering Burton Latimer, Kettering NN15 5LP Lunch – TuesdayRoad, to Friday: 12pm-2pm last order 01536 723641 Sunday – Closed

www.thepalmichael.co.uk

For further menu information and updates on special events please visit our website.

best of Italian cuisine using the finest Italian and local produce.

Royal Tandoori

Dinner – Monday to Saturday: 88-90 6pm-9pm last order Road Rockingham Lunch – Tuesday to Friday: 12pm-2pm last order Corby NN17 1AE Sunday – Closed

www.royaltandoori.net 01536 399700

For further menu information and updates on special events please visit our website.

Come dine with us

at the award winning restaurant

Rushton Hall Hotel Desborough Rd Rushton Kettering NN14 1RR www.rushtonhall.com 01536 713001 Saffron 21 Castilian Street Northampton NN1 1JS www.saffronnorthampton.co.uk 01604 630800 Sage & Brooke 31 Grafton Underwood Kettering NN14 3AA www.sageandbrooke.com 01536 330165 Shajahan 120 High Street Wollaston NN29 7RJ www.shajahanrestaurant.com/wollaston 01933 664040 Sophia’s Restaurant 54 Bridge Street Northampton NN1 1PA www.sophias-restaurant.co.uk 01604 250654

The Folly, London Road, Towcester NN12 6LB 01327 354031 www.follyinntowcester.co.uk info@follyinntowcester.co.uk

Food and Drink Guide Tamarind 151 - 153 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4DX www.tamarind-restaurant.com 01604 231194 Tap & Kitchen Oundle Wharf Station Road Oundle PE8 4DE www.tapandkitchen.com 01832 275069 Taste of Spice 38a Main Road Duston Northampton NN5 6JF www.tasteofspiceuk.com 01604 754999 The Cedar Restaurant at Fawsley Hall The Drive Fawsley Hall Hotel Daventry NN11 3BA www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/fawsleyhall/eatand-drink/our-services/the-cedar-restaurant 01327 892000 The Church Restaurant 67-83 Bridge Street Northampton NN1 1PD www.thechurchrestaurant.com 01604 603800

The Folly Inn London Road Towcester NN12 6LB www.follyinntowcester.co.uk 01327 354031 The Green Room 6 Bridge Street Brackley NN13 7EP www.thegreenroombrackley.co.uk 01280 703123

The Stuffed Olive 188-192 Wellingborough Road, Northampton NN1 4EB www.thestuffedolive.co.uk 01604 631631

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The Talbot Hotel, Eatery and Coffee House New Street Oundle PE8 4EA www.talbothotel.co.uk 01832 273621

The Palmichael 1 Kettering Road Burton Latimer NN15 5LP www.thepalmichael.co.uk 01536 723641

The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House Grooms Lane Creaton NN6 8NN www.sundialgroup.com/dining-functions/highgate-house/rooms/the-terrace-restaurant 01604 731731

The Raj 46 - 50 Rockingham Rd Kettering NN16 8JT www.therajrestaurant.net 01536 513606

Voujon 1-3 Church Street Long Buckby NN6 7QH www.voujon.co.uk 01327 843 571

The Smoke Pit 11A The Ridings Northampton NN1 2AQ www.cowpigchicken.co.uk 01604 628774

185 Watling Street 185 Watling Street Towcester NN12 6BX www.185watlingstreet.com 01327 317177

08

Food and Drink Guide

A cut above.

Serving Brunch, Lunch and Dinner seven days a week

BLISWORTH • NORTHANTS WA L N U T-T R E E .CO.U K

Great food, expertly cooked and beautifully presented.

“Relaxed dining at it’s best”

If you are planning any kind of party or celebration, large or small, the Hopping Hare is the ideal venue.

Come and talk to us. Together we will produce a bespoke menu of your choice if required.

The Hopping Hare, 18 Hopping Hill Gardens, Duston, Northamptonshire, NN5 6PF Tel: +44 (0)1604 580090 | Website: hoppinghare.com

Taking the mystery out of tickling those taste buds Do you enjoy dining out? Can you tell your linguini from your lasagne? Do you know the difference between a super sauvignon and a poor pinot?

If so, the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards team would love to hear from you!

One of the key factors behind the rise in dining standards of the last decade here in the county – resulting in the wealth of wonderful eateries detailed here - has been the Mystery Shopping process which sees every entrant into the competition receive at least two visits, the reviews from which are offered as feedback to those entrants who request it. And many do!

Anna Murby is part of the Awards team and, following the annual Awards Dinner each November (at which the results in the competition are announced), spends the following months traversing the county, catching up with pub, restaurant and café owners and managers to share details of those dining experiences.

“The request for feedback often comes from those venues which haven’t been successful in being shortlisted as finalists, so inevitably the mystery shoppers have highlighted shortcomings – whether they had indifferent waiters, mediocre meals or even dirty tablecloths - and I’m one who’s got to pass that on!” explained Anna.

“But to see venues make those changes and improve what they offer to their customers is why feedback is such a valuable part of the competition.”

This year, with more entries coming in, the need for more Mystery Shoppers is bigger than ever.

And the process couldn’t be easier – or more enjoyable! It simply involves dining at one of the many venues to enter the competition (which will be randomly assigned) and completing a brief and anonymous review of the visit, providing scores and passing comments on everything from service and portion size, to food quality and even the cleanliness of the toilets!

If you are available between early July and early September, are happy to pick up the cost of your visit(s) and would like to help the Awards team in further raising dining standards here in the county – or would simply like more details - please contact Anna at The Mallows Company on 01933 664437 or email anna@ themallowscompany.com For more details of the competition, please visit www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk while you can also follow the Awards on Facebook at www.facebook.com/foodawards or on Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ Meanwhile if you have a favourite pub, restaurant or café which you think should be encouraged to take part - for FREE - in the competition, please let the Awards team know by calling 01933 664437.

Food and Drink Guide

Dining/drinking pubs and bars Barratt’s Snooker Club and Bar 42 Kingsthorpe Road Northampton NN2 6HT www.barrattsclub.co.uk 01604 721777 Bar So 25 Abington Square Northampton NN1 4AE www.barso-northampton.co.uk 01604 602442 Barley Mow 53 High Street Paulerspury NN12 7NA www.barleymow-paulerspury.co.uk 01327 811086 Fox and Hounds Banbury Road Charwelton NN11 3YY www.foxandhoundscharwelton.co.uk 01327 260611 Gin and Temple Bar 21 St Giles’ Street Northampton NN1 1JA www.ginandtemple.co.uk/ 07561 850296 Jeckyll & Hyde 172 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4DZ www.mcmanuspub.co.uk/jekyll-and-hyde 01604 630268 John Franklins 21 Guildhall Road Northampton NN1 1DP www.johnfranklins.com 01604 655790 St Giles Ale House 45 St Giles’ Street Northampton NN1 1JF 01604 636332 The Abington 383 Wellingborough Road NN1 4EY Northampton NN1 4EY 01604 631240

The Albion Brewery and Bar 54 Kingswell Street Northampton NN1 1PR www.phipps-nbc.co.uk 01604 946606 The Artisan 70 Artizan Road Northampton NN1 4HS 01604 638663 The Brampton Halt Pitsford Road Chapel Brampton NN6 8BA www.thebramptonhalt.co.uk 01604 842676 The Dukes Arms 83 High Street Woodford NN14 4HE 01832 732224 The Fox & Hounds Harlestone Road Lower Harlestone NN7 4EW www.thefoxandhoundsharlestone.co.uk 01604 821251

The Four Pears 28 Bedford Road Little Houghton NN7 1AB www.thefourpears.com 01604 890900 The George and Dragon 1 Thorpe Road Chacomben OX17 2JW www.georgeanddragonchacombe.co.uk 01295 711500 The George at Tiffield 21 High Street North Tiffield NN12 8AD www.thegeorgeattiffield.co.uk 01327 350587 The Golden Horse 59 Southampton Road Northampton NN4 8DZ www.mcmanuspub.co.uk/golden-horse 01604 705565

09

10

Food and Drink Guide

The Hopping Hare 18 Hopping Hill Gardens Duston NN5 6PF www.hoppinghare.com 01604 580090

Dining/drinking pubs and bars

The Knightley Arms Public House 49 High Street Yelvertoft NN6 6LF 01788 823555 The Lamplighter 66 Overstone Road Northampton NN1 3JS www.thelamplighter.co.uk 01604 631125 The Malt Shovel Tavern 121 Birdge Street Northampton NN1 1QF www.maltshoveltavern.com 01604 234212

The Old Kings Head 2 Harbidges Lane NN6 7QL Long Buckby NN6 7QL www.oldkingsheadlongbuckby.co.uk 01327 842680 The Pike and Eel Pub Tamar Square Daventry NN11 4RB 01327 703103 The Plough @ Shutlanger 5 Main Road, Shutlanger NN12 7RU www.theploughshutlanger.co.uk 01604 864644

The Princess Alexandra 1 Alexandra Road Northampton NN1 5QP www.theprincessalexandra.co.uk 01604 245485 The Red Lion 63 London Road Bozeat NN29 7JR www.ourlocal.pub/pubs/the-red-lion-bozeat 01933 667620 The Red Lion 36 Bridle Path Brafield on the Green NN7 1BP www.theredlionatbrafield.co.uk 01604 890707 The Red Lion High Street Culworth OX17 2BD www.theredlionculworth.co.uk 01295 760050 The Red Lion Main Street East Haddon NN6 8BU www.redlioneasthaddon.co.uk 01604 770223

TRY OUR

TASTY NEW SUMMER MENU PACKED WITH FLAVOUR

BOOK TODAY: 01604 686 555 Booking Advisable

The Swan at Lamport. Harborough Road, Lamport, Northampton, NN6 9EZ Tel: 01604 686 555 Email: theswanlamport@mcmanuspub.co.uk Web: www.theswanatlamport.co.uk

The Red Lion Welford Road Thornby NN6 8SJ www.redlionthornby.co.uk 01604 740238 The Rose & Crown High Street Yardley Hastings OX17 2BD www.roseandcrownbistro.co.uk 01604 696276 The Royal Oak Whiston Road Cogenhoe NN7 1NJ www.theroyaloaknorthampton.co.uk 01604 890922 The Saracen’s Head Main Street Little Brington NN7 4HS www.thesaracensatbrington.co.uk 01604 770640 The Saxon Crown 100 Elizabeth Street Corby NN17 1FN www.jdwetherspoon.com 01536 203672

Food and Drink Guide The Sir Pickering Phipps 237 Wellingborough Road Northampton NN1 4EH www.sirpickeringnorthampton.co.uk 01604 628855 The Spread Eagle 34-36 Forest Road Piddington NN7 2DA 01604 871008 The Stags Head 237 Wellingborough Road Great Doddington NN1 4EH www.stags-head.com 01933 222316 The Swan 18 Griffin Road Braybrooke LE16 8LH www.swanbraybrooke.co.uk 01858 462754 The Swan and Helmet 65 Grove Road Northampton NN1 3LJ www.theswanandhelmet.co.uk 01604 629372 The Swan at Lamport Harborough Road Lamport NN6 9EZ www.theswanatlamport.co.uk 01604 686555 The Sun Inn 9 High Street Hardingstone NN4 7BT www.thesuninnhardingstone.co.uk 01604 700007 The Sun Inn 6 Mill Road Kislingbury NN7 4BB www.thesuninnkislingbury.co.uk 01604 833571 The Tollemache Arms 49 High Street Harrington NN6 9NU www.thetolly.co.uk 01536 711770 The Walnut Tree Inn 21 Station Road Blisworth NN7 3DS www.walnut-tree.co.uk 01604 859551 The Wharf Cornhill Lane Bugbrooke NN7 3QB www.thewharfbugbrooke.co.uk 01604 832585

Dining/drinking pubs and bars The Wheatsheaf Pub & Dining Room 126 Dallington Road Northampton NN5 7HN 01604 758871 The White Horse 2 The Square Kings Sutton OX17 3RF www.whitehorseks.co.uk 01295 812440

The White Horse Walgrave Road Old NN6 9QX www.whitehorseold.co.uk 01604 781297

11

The World’s End 5 Northampton Road Ecton NN6 0QN www.theworldsend.org 01604 414521 Towcester Mill Brewery Ltd Chantry Lane, Towcester NN12 6YY www.towcestermillbrewery.co.uk 01327 437060

n All listings have been a winner, runner-up or finalist in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards since 2014 and/or feature on the Northamptonshire Britain’s Best Surprise website.

All meet our current relevant FHRS.

www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk

www.northamptonshiresurprise.com

www.madeinnorthamptonshire.org

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Theatre

June 19

31

The original Tricky Dicky

Tre Ventour

Culture vulture

W

nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

hen it comes to character studies, one of the finest ever written is Shakespeare’s Richard III. Following Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hollow Crown) and Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen), seeing this character at the Royal & Derngate just oozes brilliance, following a lone line of actors that have done this role justice.

Tom Mothersale as the swaggering sociopath is gold-star casting. Richard is as much the villain as the boy king, Joffrey Baratheon (Game of Thrones).

Richard is depicted as ugly and reviled, seemingly a child murderer. Yet, historians still speculate whether he did ever kill those boys in the tower, the children of Northamptonian Elizabeth Woodville (born in Grafton Regis).

Whilst historians do counter Shakespeare’s representations, the central character is, in my opinion, one of the best ever written. Regardless if we look at this as a historical fiction or straight drama, it’s a character study of epic proportions.

Invited to the press night at the Royal & Derngate, I watched this story unravel, a story about a man who decides that murder is his vocation because nobody loves him, set on being a kingslayer, working his way

up to the crown. Cue the funeral music and evil grin.

Breaking the fourth wall with ease, Mothersdale is Richard through and through. He makes the audience feel part of his activities and at times, complicit. And I was unsure whether I was allowed to laugh or not. Can murder ever be amusing? Richard thinks so, with the odd smile done in the name of banter.

With an apt supporting cast, including young actors from Silhouette Theatre Company, Richard III is definitely worth a watch.

What’s more, there’s something spiritual about seeing Black actors do Shakespeare.

When it comes to arts, theatre is leading the charge on representation in Britain and the screen is playing catch up. Stefan Adegbola was a standout, who my mother called “a true thespian” – he oozes class, as do the child actors who I am sure have big prospects ahead.* With minimalist set design and some innovative uses of lighting, the micro elements were rather good. If I was to nitpick, I would say the pacing needs work. I’m used to slow burns but sometimes I thought it could pick up some slack.

From its cast to the lighting, sound, sets and so forth, Richard III is a wonderful watch. * Editor’s note: Tré’s younger brother Ashton Griffiths was among the cast, as one of the princes in the tower

32

June 19

Richard Hollingum Captain of the fields

I

nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 01604 550037

t was a beautiful mid-May morning, clear with a bit of a chill in the air but the promise of warmth later on. We had left the car and were following the hedgerow along the valley bottom before turning with it up the hill. We were out to look for birds. So far we had noted chiff-chaff, blackbirds and skylarks and heard quite a lot of others in full voice. A short way up the rise, scanning the view with the binoculars I saw a brown

Rural

shape, squat and shifting gently about. We walked a bit further up the hill and it was still there, just moving slowly over the ground, stopping to graze here and there.

Its size and its dark ears were clear indicators of what it was, but somehow I already knew. Hare. There is a sensation that starts when one comes into view, almost spine-tingling, a clear feeling that here is something special. I became mesmerised watching it, and then took up the camera thinking that as soon as I press the shutter it will run off.

My finger went down and several times the shutter opened and closed in rapid succession. The hare continued to chew the grass.

I put the camera down and the hare moved a bit nearer, almost quartering this

NQ

section of the field as he progressed through his meal. More photographs. I had not really thought how loud the shutter mechanism was on the camera until now but he seemed to be oblivious to it. I paused again but still no awareness from him about our proximity.

He moved a bit further towards us, his clear brown eyes looking around but perhaps because we were stock still, or perhaps because we were in the shadow of the hedge whilst he was in the sunlight, he did not appear to register our presence.

After some minutes he had moved to within a few steps of us. The camera clicked and clattered. He stopped, looked up and then went back to the food. I let the camera down, my arms beginning to ache. I stretched my

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Rural

June 19

33

British hare ways

Richard Hollingum looks into the magical life of the hare and also reveals concerns about the large number found dead...

arms out a bit. This movement made him stop again and then that was it, off he went.

Not running as a hare can run but clearly at enough of a pace to put himself at a safe distance. If we saw nothing else that day, I thought, I would go home very happy.

Another field is known locally as Hare Field. For many a walk I would follow the path on the other side of the ditch, my head turned to the left scouring the rising land to see a hare. Once - and once only - was I rewarded for this. Early one April morning, the warming sun lifting the heavy dew that sat upon the grass, I saw three brown shapes running across Hare Field. Every now and then one of them stopped, followed by the other two. As they all drew parallel to me -

but a good 150 metres or more away - they stopped again and the middle one looked at the other two. As if a signal had been given, perhaps a dropped handkerchief, one of the outer pair approached the middle one and a boxing match commenced. Perhaps boxing match is not entirely the right description but it does sound a tad better than just a mad flailing of forelegs.

This, it transpired, was the female, in the middle, testing, or more likely fighting off an unwarranted suitor. After a bit of time, suitor number one retired to a safe distance and number two had a go. After this all three moved off again, stopped, had another round, and then continued. I never did get to see who won the heart of the fair maiden,

but I also sympathised with the winner, who would henceforth never be able to put a foot wrong.

Perhaps a little bit fanciful but hares are creatures that readily lend themselves to anthropomorphising. They are also creatures of mystery and magic, and are much favoured by sketchers, card makers, mug manufacturers and the subject of many best selling books. Marianne Taylor’s The Way Of The Hare (2017) is a great introduction to the animal with chapters about the hare’s biology, their relationship with humankind, and the role the creature takes in the various mythologies of the world. The Running Hare (2016) by John Lewis-Stempel is an equally great book but fixes the hare as part of a

34

June 19

quest - or as Lewis-Stempel refers to it, “an affair” - with a piece of land that is in dire need of having life put back into it, life that will support the growth of a crop and the joy of birds and animals that should naturally be part of that environment.

The hare seen in Northamptonshire is the Brown Hare, Lepus europaeus. It is the common type across England and is easily recognisable with its long black-tipped ears and its often zig-zag run. They can live between two and four years and grow up to 70cm in length. Hares were introduced into these islands by the Romans, or possibly even before then, but are considered a naturalised species and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Unlike rabbits hares do not live in burrows but instead have shallow scrapes or depressions in the ground called forms which allows them to stay out of sight but also run away quickly if threatened. There can be up to four litters a year, each litter perhaps having up to four leverets. Leverets are born ready to go. They are covered in fur, have their eyes open and, as Marianne Taylor says, they look like their parents “but rather cuter”.

The mother will distribute the young in various places in order to reduce the risk of predation and whilst an adult will flee at the first sign of potential danger, leverets tend to freeze and wait for the danger to pass.

Taylor makes the point that if you find a small hare, very still, possibly under a hedge, do not pick it up but move on. Its mother will know where it is and paying attention to it will only create more interest for any

Rural

Don’t you find it a beautiful clean thought, a world empty of people, just uninterrupted grass, and a hare sitting up?

DH Lawrence lurking predator.

The total population of the Brown Hare in the UK is about 800,000, the majority (over 500,000) in England. East Anglia has good populations whereas in some parts of the country, the hare is non-existent. In Northamptonshire, local populations are good enough for regular sightings. However, in October 2018, newspapers reported on the increase in the deaths of hares nationwide.

Jonathan Davis from the Rural & Wildlife Crime Advisory Service (RaWCAS) says that whilst “hare die-off has been known about for many years, this sudden rise in numbers is a cause for concern”. At that time no substantial research had been done into why this was happening but this has since resulted in a citizen science project coordinated

by Professor Diana Bell at the University of East Anglia.

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According to RaWCAS, several new pathogens have been found circulating in the Brown Hare population and one, RHDV2, was identified in January this year. RHDV2 is a variation of Rabbit haemorrhage disease, a highly infectious and fatal disease in rabbits that appears to have jumped species. Death normally occurs within 48 to 72 hours after infection. It is thought that RHDV2 may be a contributory factor to this sudden fall in hare population.

Davis explains that the citizen science project aims to engage as many countryside users as possible to keep an eye out for any recently dead hares. This can be hard enough at the best of times as hares are very quickly scavenged: “Somehow a hare must die, remain un-scavenged and be physically spotted by a member of the public pretty soon after death.”

Taking into account the fact that the person finding the hare must be aware of the project, and has the where-with-all to gather up the body, it is pretty remarkable that to date there have been nearly 1000 bodies reported.

If you find a hare that has recently died, you are asked, if possible, to collect it, take photographs, and make notes of the surrounding areas and environmental circumstances. When collecting the body, wear protective gloves, place it in a triple bag and take to your local vet for storage. Most vets will be accommodating if the research team is mentioned. When finding a dead hare, please contact either Professor Diana Bell, d.bell@uea.ac.uk or Jonathan Davis, rawcas@ gmx.com

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Book review

June19

35

Your best Bette is a real superstar Lena Davis has been a music producer, writer and Personal Manager; a photographer and journalist and, over thirty years ago, got together with Caroline Scattergood to create the Caring & Sharing Trust to bring music, hope and love into the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families from throughout Northamptonshire.

Lena Davis

Caring Sharing Trust nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 01604 550037

S

ome of us still remember when going to the cinema was an occasion and the Stars glittered as brightly as any in the sky. Nowadays, of course, going to the cinema is an expensive, torturous and often disappointing experience which few of are able to face.

Truly, you have to be an actual superhero to make it through to watching an endless supply of cinema main fare today. Usually celluloid superheroes or Disney fodder for the kids.

All of this was brought back to me on reading “Miss D & Me – Life with the Invincible Bette Davis” by Kathryn Sermak (published by Hachette Books paperback £11.78).

This is a feast of a book chronicling those last ten years of Bette Davis’s life which she shared with the author. Kathryn was first hired as a kind of inexperienced secretary but soon found herself as one of Bette Davis’s closest friends. What’s more, she became part of the family, almost an additional daughter for Bette, and found herself learning about life from an absolute master.

Bette Davis was probably the biggest star of her time and her only set-back, which proved out of her control, was being turned down for the lead in “Gone With the Wind”.

She vowed that such a thing would never happen again and, indeed, it did not.

Nowadays, in this Country, our only true women Stars shine on stage and television.

Such as Keeley Hawes, Sarah Lancashire,

Nicola Walker, Suranne Jones, Sheridan Smith, etc, etc. British filmmakers these days seem to focus on making films on such subjects as groups of Cornish fishermen who sing folk songs or re-enacting the war. Occasionally, Keira Knightley gets a look in but, I’m sure, even she wouldn’t consider herself anywhere near as alluring and talented as our Keeley and co.

And now, as they say, for something completely different. “How Not to be a Doctor” by John Launer (published by Duckworth Overlook £14.99 hardback and, when available, a lot less in paperback). John Launer himself is one of those increasing rarities, particularly in Northamptonshire, a General Practitioner. He is also on the senior staff of the Tavistock Clinic and one

of the best known columnists of the British medical press. Perhaps, most importantly of all, this collection of essays are instructive, entertaining, mind expanding and eminently readable.

The book contains more than fifty essays covering a range of topics including music, poetry, literature and psychoanalysis plus insights on medical politics and the personal experience of being a doctor.

With our wonderful NHS struggling to keep afloat and our formerly wonderful general practitioner services disintegrating by the day, this is a good time to read these essays. I only wish that powerful politicians would take the time to digest its contents and act quickly to repair the very fabric of British life.

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June 19

Food

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Mother’s knows best . . . how to make a healthy fast food stop-off Review: Mother’s Wok and Sushi, Abington St

MY 11-year-old daughter and I ended up at Mothers Wok and Sushi because it is pretty much directly opposite the bike rack at the end of Abington Street, Northampton.

Town planners and shop owners please take note: I used a business because I was able to lock my bike up within sight of its front door, and we need more of this.

Anyway, MWS is a one of a growing number of quick and easy noodle joints in the town centre. The decor is minimal and functional, but this is about fast food that leaves you change from a tenner, and offers something healthier than chopped up cow and potatoes from a deep fat fryer.

At Mother’s, there is a wok option and a noodle soup-based option. We went for noodles, which then triggered a choice of noodle, a choice of filling and a choice of stock. We chose chicken and threw in some vegetable sushi and a couple of cans of diet coke, bringing the bill for Sunday lunch to well under £20 for the pair of us.

Sometimes the offering at a noodle place can be a bit sticky and make you feel like you’re going to be up all night, high on monosodium glutamate. No fear of that with our soup, which was steaming, fresh, delicious and a generous portion.

My only real complaint would be the plastic cutlery which, notwithstanding the eco-guilt, did not give you confidence it could do the job. You will hunch and scoop.

You should give it a go as an alternative to burgers and chips. The build-yourown nature of the dishes is a fun element and you’ll end up with a healthier option, especially with kids in tow. Noodles is also the food of science fiction, so you can hunker down with your Japanese street food and pretend you are in a scene from Bladerunner 3.

SS

ABOVE top: Croquettes, salad, goat’s cheese, steak and mushrooms, calamari and honeyed aubergines LEFT: The already-started puds: brownie, ice-cream, crème caramelo and cheesecake and BELOW: Ternera con salsa de champinones in a white wine and mushroom sauce OPPOSITE: A choice of sangria (a jug serves four easily with enough for top ups)

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Food

June19

37

Many friendly returns at Tres Angelos Tapas

Review: Tres Angelos Tapas Bar, 128 Kingsley Park Terrace, Northampton NN2 7HJ

A FRIDAY night out in your middle years is a great pleasure if done right, which is exactly what I and three women Penda-friends managed this month.

Gone are the days of dragging ourselves down Bridge Street, haemorrhaging cash and dignity along the way.

Instead, a meet-up with mates happens in a less frantic manner - a good meal and a noisy natter - with no pressure to stay out until 5am. After all, one of our party had to get up the morning to make a bread and butter pudding.

Tres Angelos is what used to be Sol y Luna on Kingsley front. It’s now run by completely new owners who have kept a similar menu and decor and serve authentic Spanish tapas.

For the uninitiated, this means little bowls of delicious stuff - order a few and be prepared to share.

We were seated in the main bar area, although there is a larger covered area at the back and some tables outside at the front, with wooden tables and fairy lights.

We started with a jug of sangria (there are choices even here, do you want Sangria Tarragona, with brandy, gin and red wine or Blanco, with white wine, apple and apricot brandy? Or Rasado with rose wine, strawberry liqueur and frozen fruits?)

Needless to say we had a couple of jugs...

Our waiter Robert was excellent, and recognised a couple of our group who had been in before, even down to remembering which wine they had! We were brought

some olives (first bowl is free) and a basket of freshly baked bread, and then got on with choosing from the fish, meat and vegetarian tapas menus. They can do vegan choices too, and on Sunday they paella all day for all tastes.

We had vegetarians and carnivores in our group and chose about nine dishes between us, including a goat’s cheese with red onion marmalade off the specials board which was just delicious and complemented every other dish.

There was a huge salad, patatas bravas with spicy salsa, steak slices with fat mushrooms in a sauce that was perfect for mopping up with bread, calamari, a vegetarian tortilla (a big omelette slice with potatoes and garlicky aioli), Berenjenas Fritas con Miel, which are generous slices of aubergine cooked in honey and croquettas de cerveza (two portions here so we could have one each), which are breadcrumbed parcels filled with gruyere cheese and just ridiculously moreish.

The atmosphere is very informal - you don’t have to dress up but you can if you want - and you can pop in just for a drink or a platter of bread, cheese and ham if you’re not up for a full meal. The prices are incredibly reasonable - the most expensive dish we had was £7.50 for the steak, which easily served two. Many of the other dishes cost less than a fiver each.

We left a big gap before puddings but forgot to take a picture before we’d already

eaten half - so what you can see is partially devoured berry cheesecake, a MASSIVE crème caramel which is big enough for two, some salted caramel ice-cream and an intensely rich brownie with ice cream. This was all accompanied by a shot each of vanilla liqueur or tequila, very generously offered on the house by the restaurant owner Aleksander.

With two jugs of sangria and a bottle of cara nord white wine (16.95) our meal for four came to just shy of £110, less than £30 a head for plenty of food and really good service.

The only observation I’d make, and it’s entirely personal, is that a lot of the dishes come with a sticky balsamic dressing on top and I’m not great with vinegar so had to pick around some of it - but to be honest I should have mentioned this up front.

We were possibly the last to leave, just short of midnight, and there was rushing us out from our hosts and I know we’ll return.

And while we didn’t then head off to Bridge Street, we did pop round to one of our group’s kitchen for a nightcap and a discussion of the best way to make bread and butter pudding, debating on whether the bread needed to be stale and how much cinnamon is a lot. You see? Feminism doesn’t mean you can’t still bash out a decent bread and butter pudding after a night out with the girls.

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June 19

Vikki Austin, Countryside Ranger at Barnwell Park, talks about how she ended up working in the great outdoors

“H

ow do you become a ranger?” – It is a question I am asked often, as I go about the various tasks necessary to keep a country park well-maintained.

There is no simple answer, and each person’s journey will be different. Some know what they want to be when they grow up from an early age and can take advantage of the various qualifications available that focus on Countryside Management.

Others, like myself, realise later in life that they want to pursue something in the Great Outdoors.

Some people are in a position to return to education as a mature student; and gaining a relevant qualification would certainly be to your advantage. However, one thing the job descriptions all have in common is experience, and the best way to start gaining experience is through volunteering. Most country parks, nature reserves and wildlife

Life

organisations are always looking for willing volunteers. Public volunteer days are usually held weekly or monthly, and often include a weekend day to allow ‘office dwellers’ the opportunity to enjoy some natural daylight and fresh air.

Personally, I have two individuals to thank for my career as a Countryside Ranger. The first was my grandfather, although I didn’t appreciate his influence at the time. He used to teach me about the different trees as we walked around various country parks. We would collect the autumn leaves and seeds from the ground and he would tell me what each one was: sycamore, oak, birch, elm.

Then there were the weekends collecting fruit in the late summer and autumn, and the hours in the garden planting seeds and watching them grow. Then I grew up and forgot most of the knowledge he had given me, but the interest in the natural world started then, thanks to him.

The second person has been very influential. I started volunteering, over ten years ago, one Saturday a month at a local nature

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reserve, simply as a way of escaping the office. I wanted some fresh air, some exercise, and a sense of job satisfaction. The practical nature of the work was a little daunting to begin with, but the other volunteers in the group were very welcoming, and Dave, the ranger leading the day, was very patient and more than happy to explain everything.

I was used to sitting down all day in front of a computer, playing with spreadsheets, and shuffling paper. So when faced with practical conservation work I was clumsy and tentative, afraid to do the wrong thing, or cut something back that I wasn’t supposed to. Also, my wildlife identification skills were appalling. ‘Today, we will be coppicing willow from the reed bed,’ Ranger Dave had said. Everyone picked up loppers and bowsaws and walked boldly into the reed bed, the tall reeds swallowing them up one by one until they were all out of sight.

Just the gentle whisper of the reeds and the sporadic disappearance of a small tree hinted at their locations. It was like being in a horror movie, watching the trees getting

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Who would want to work in a place like this?

picked off one by one, and then the tops of the reeds swaying as something moved through the reed bed, before a volunteer suddenly emerged, grinning, wielding a bowsaw in one hand and a small tree in the other.

We can all identify a small number of tree species, probably at certain times of the year. Much of the time we will have learned what individual trees are, and identify them more by location than by their unique features. For example, we know that the large tree in the corner of the playing field is a horse chestnut because that’s where we got all our conkers from when we were children.

Life is often chaotic, and it doesn’t take much for any of us to become focussed on our own little worlds, for better or worse.

Suddenly, all that exists is a busy home, the commute to work, and work itself. The seasons come and go almost unnoticed, and those little nuggets of knowledge can disappear. Put the trees in a line-up and many will struggle to identify them.

‘Coppice the willow,’ had been the instruc-

tion, and suddenly I was filled with doubt and uncertainty. What did a willow look like? I could point to a large weeping willow on the banks of a river, but these were all relatively small trees, without the distinctive shape they acquire with age. Thankfully, Ranger Dave was kind enough to help me to identify the willows and to explain why we were cutting them down. That was key, knowing the why of the task, understanding how our influence was going to help the reed bed, and the wildlife it supported.

It wasn’t just the natural world that presented a steep learning curve for me, there were tools as well. Quite often I would be awkwardly gripping a drill, or a saw (thankfully by the right end) and someone would approach and say ‘oh, let me do that for you.’ Then they would gently take the tools from my hand and carry out the task with the skills and ease borne of practice and experience. It was very kind of them to offer and I have no doubt that they always had the best of intentions. It saved time, but it didn’t help me to learn.

It was Ranger Dave who made a difference.

He would watch me clumsily trying to tackle a new and unfamiliar task, but he didn’t take the tools away and do it himself (which would certainly have been a lot quicker).

Instead, he would very patiently go through it all step by step, allowing me to make mistakes, giving me time to correct them, and offering extra guidance when necessary.

I began to learn, and the more I learned the more I wanted to learn. Ranger Dave became a mentor, and a friend, and gave me confidence in my abilities. It was his influence that helped me to realise that I could pursue a career as a Countryside Ranger.

It is important to remember that we all have to start as novices at some point. Noone knows everything (not even teenagers!) and a little patience can go a long way. It is something I have tried to take forward and put into practice when I lead my own volunteer groups. How do you become a ranger?

The same way you become anything: work at it, believe in yourself, and don’t stop until you get there.

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June 19

Music

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MAIN STAGE The main stage is to be located on the Market Square, at the heart of Northampton Centre, featuring a variety of local acts and from further afield. Food vendors will be stationed around the market square.

All the other five stages will wind down to a close before 8pm in time for the headline act of the day, The Blockheads. A real treat, listening to any Ian Drury record it’s the band and the musicality that makes the record. Don’t miss the icing on the cake to finish off a celebration of Northampton’s musical talent.

Featured Artist: EMPYRE Hailing from Northampton, rock quartet EMPYRE have been busy touring the country with their diverse sound to promote new single ‘Too Little, Too Late’, that has been very well received, and the imminent release of album, Self Aware out on July 5th.

Since forming in 2016 the band has gone

from success to success, with 2018 being a height for the band, getting coverage from the BBC, on both BBC Introducing and Bob Harris’, Under the Apple Tree Series, as well as, performing at HRH rock festival in Ibiza.

Somewhere between Pink Floyd and Soundgarden, the band are inspired by Pearl Jam and the Dire Straits, as well as, modern influences such as Audioslave.

The band likes to incorporate a diverse range of styles in their music from blues to country, for an intensely dynamic sound that ranges from aggressive rock, to being melodic and atmospheric in parts.

EMPYRE promises to haul you up by your emotions.

Schedule: 20:00 - 21:00: The Blockheads Ian Drury’s iconic band from the height of the late seventies and eighties.

17:00: EMPYRE A homegrown dynamic rock quartet with influences from Pink Floyd to Soundgarden.

16:00: Lunaxis If you like Fleetwood Mac you’ll like this Northamptonshire based folk rock band.

Brian Harding’s Highlight for the Main Stage: “It has to be the Blockheads. They performed at the festival about 10 years ago”, says Brian, who will be directing the stage. “They were one of the first headline acts that came to the festival and thanks to support from sponsors, Northampton Music 365 are able to bring a headline act to the festival again this year”.

NEW BOOTS STAGE (NN GALLERY) The New Boots stage is a great addition to the festival and one of my highlights of the day. Located at the back of the NN Gallery in the courtyard, the stage is curated by Phil Moore and celebrates Shoetown’s local music scene. Phil works tirelessly to promote local music via his online magazine New Boots and SBD Promotions, showcasing local bands, as well as, bringing some bands from further afield, to the town.

Graham Roberts says: “We try to represent all age groups, the vast majority of performers are very local. We have such a great quality of music that comes from Northampton. I think the town is pretty famous for it really. From musical professionals, as well as, a fantastic educational system, taught from primary school age right up to specialist tuition in rock, classical, Jazz, a diverse range of disciplines. Northampton has a lot to celebrate culturally and the New Boots stage celebrates that”.

There will be Street food available. The current art exhibition, is Unfolding the Vaporous Mind, by Gam Bodenhousen, a Norwegian artist. The works are inspired

by Northampton stone. Do pop by to check out this unique instalment.

Featured Artist: Kian Russell Having recently moved back to Northampton after living in Seattle, USA for many years, Kian Russell is an English talent bringing the taste of American

Blues Rock to Northampton. Kian has played the guitar since he was seven, after a diagnosis left him unable to pursue his passion of Rugby. At just sixteen years old Kian is already a blues prodigee in the making. Already being put on the bill at iconic London venues and the likes of the Foodies Festival in Bristol, Kian Russell is one to watch.

Schedule: 18:30: Ginger Snaps The headline act to tie off the days shenanigans. The brainchild of composer/ producer Jay Brooks, Ginger Snaps bring a Hip-Hop sound nostalgic of the 1980’s, with a contemporary twist.

17:30: The Big Dirty As the name suggests The Big Dirty are a

big rock band, with a big sound and a big presence on stage.

16:30: L30 Robinson, Anonymous and XOV A trio of individual hiphop musicians, collaborating together, in an exclusive one off performance.

15:30: Phantom Isle Based between Shoetown and London, the psychedelic indie pop quartet, Phantom Isle, are back with their new single, Four Walls. Catch them whilst they’re here. A rare treat not to be missed.

14:30: GOGO LOCO The maraca driven trash rock and roll band bring a rockabilly flair to the proceedings and have some new material guaranteed to get you moving.

13:30: Kinships An electronic duo based between Northampton and London. Dave Crawford is a diversely talented local musician, singer/ songwriter, composer and producer. His unique creations are a musical treat.

12:30: Kian Russell “Kian is a 16 year old, blues rock prodigy” says Phil Moore, “he looks like he has a big future”. Catch Kian opening the bill from midday.

Ginger Snaps Highlight for the Stage…

“GOGO LOCO, they are like a “theatre production for the senses and Kinships.

Dave is by far the most technically talented musician I know. I’m interested to see what he’s come up with”.

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Northampton Music Festival: from rock to opera RACHEL THOMAS’S GUIDE TO NMF19: For Clash Resolutions And Where To Be And When

The Northampton Music Festival, now in its 12th year, will be hitting the town centre on Sunday 16th June, from midday to 10pm. The festival features six stages at six different locations across the town. The festival is an opportunity to open up Northampton Town Centre and to celebrate the local community, it’s venues and artists. Rachel Thomas spoke to Graham Roberts, who has been involved with organising the festival for the last three years and Brian Harding, a founding member, who has been there from the beginning...

“I

remember the first festival, says, Graham Roberts. “I was there as a spectator watching bands play from New Orleans. It was just one stage if I remember on the Market Square, then over the years it has grown and grown, and it now has a whopping great six stages, five last year. It increases every year, always gathering momentum.

“There is something for everyone, Rock to Opera is our mantra, from a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta to heavy rock bands and everything in between including Jazz, Classical and Choral, World Music and the New Boots stage - promoting upcoming younger bands”.

The acts are staggered across different stages with something going on all afternoon, to promote movement throughout the different venues. When Brian and John Richardson first organised the festival, it

was with the town centre in the forefront of their minds.

“We try to keep it in the town centre”, says Brian, “it would be very easy to put on a festival in a field on the edge of town, logistically, and to organise but it wouldn’t benefit the town centre itself. It is sponsored by the Northampton Bid, (Business Improvement District) to bring people into local businesses, as they see the benefit”.

“Culture and leisure is the future for the town rather than retail”, says Graham, “and the music festival is a significant piece of that jigsaw and hopefully other people will bring their events into the town as well.

Our aim has always been to make the town centre a more attractive place, permanently not just once a year.

“We are very lucky architecturally and we want people to see the beautiful buildings that are Northampton, and put an end to the moaning about the place, to be positive and proactive. The town is only what you make it and it’s down to the people who live in it, the community. The ingredients are all there, especially in the cultural quarter; a theatre, two cinemas and the film house, restaurants and a great music scene. It may look a bit rough around the edges but we love it anyway. We can only transform it by bringing people in and doing something and, we here at Northampton music 365 are doers not just talkers. We engage with the town”.

From 12:00 - 16:00, I will be at the NN Gallery stage. A little early, to have a wander round the art exhibition, in time for Kian Russell, Kinships, GOGO LOCO and Phantom Isle.

Then from 16:00 -17:30, I’ll be heading over to the main stage to catch some Lunaxis and the whole of EMPYRE’s set.

Before I head back to the New Boots stage at around 17:30 - 19:30, to spend the break on the Main Stage with the remainder of The Big Dirty and Ginger Snaps.

Finally, I’ll head back to the Main Stage for the headline act from 20:00-21:00.

The festival is a great platform for everyone from the spectators to the performers.

If you want to get involved the festival has lots of opportunities for people who want to gain vital experience from the volunteer program, such as stage assistants, photographers, selling T-Shirts or people who just want to lend a hand.

No job is too small, get in touch with the organisers on the website below.

Tune in to NLIVE 106.9FM, every Friday from 7-8pm, for interviews and live performances, from some of NMF19’s featured artists, on Shoetown Sounds.

Website: www.northamptonmusicfestival.co.uk

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June 19

Music

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JAZZ STAGE (GUILDHALL COURTYARD)

Offering a musical reprise from the ongoing festivities the Jazz stage will be located under the picturesque arches of the Guildhall courtyard.

“The Guildhall courtyard is fabulous”, Graham says, “it is the most aesthetically beautiful setting of the whole festival. A great setting for Jazz, it goes down a storm and every year it is rammed. It is our most consistently successful stage showcasing the top musical students to the top

professional musicians”.

and blues.

Featured Artist: Boysey Battrum Band Over the years, the tenor saxophonist has toured with the likes of The Foundations, Status Quo and even Stevie Wonder! As a jazz soloist, Boysey has performed across the UK and beyond. Expect a stellar lineup of all-star special guests, delivering the finest jazz, with a heavy dose of soul, funk

Schedule: 18:00: Boysey Battrum Band 17:00: Ka Safar 16:00: Ed Arm Trio 15:00: Cliff Brown’s Actual Proof 14:00: Take Six 13:00: Northampton County Youth Big Band

CHORAL STAGE (All Saints piazza) Located at the All saints Piazza, the Choral Stage displays local community choirs and classical music, in front of the striking backdrop of All Saints Church. The festival organisers are working closely with the Good Loaf, a charity who have expanded

into the cafe nextdoor, and will be providing outside seating, to enjoy the music in a continental environment. The Good Loaf are a local women’s refuge charity that aim to rehabilitate lives.

Schedule: 18:15: Northampton Male Voice Choir 17:15: Northampton Sings!

16:15: Musicality 15:15: Northampton G&S group 14:15: Songbirds

THE PLATFORM STAGE (George’s row) Located at The Platform on George’s Row, the stage will be showcasing the affluent up and coming talent of the town’s music

students, from both Northampton University and Northampton College, with performances from 1pm - 7pm.

Schedule: TBC on the day, do check by the Platform early on for the schedule, to plan your timings for the rest of the day.

ABINGTON STREET STAGE: The Abington Street stage will be bringing a variety of performances to Abington Street. Firstly, hosting the Northampton Ukulele Group (NUGs) - I wonder if they’ve ever broken the world record for number of ukes on stage!? And, secondly,

the Umbrella Fair Organisation, directed

by Ian Bates, promoting the fantastic work they do for the community, and offering a chance to see some of the talented individuals, performing a variety of World Music and dance performances, through-

out the afternoon.

Schedule: 12.30 – 15.30: Northampton Ukulele Group directed by Mick Jackson 16:00 – 19:00: Umbrella Fair directed by Ian Bates

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OTHER ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

There will be a drum stage, stationed on Wood Hill, behind All Saints church (near Nandos), encouraging people to get up and have go. There will also be a busking stage in a location to be confirmed (though most likely Fish Street), that offers a low key, street music vibe with an open mic set up for people to get involved.

HAVE GUITARS WILL TRAVEL: The Have Guitars Will Travel Festival, on Friday June 14th, from 8pm at the Lamplighter, is one of the events during the week, leading up to the main day of NMF on the Sunday. The series of books of the same name celebrate the history of Northampton’s music scene. Now on its 4th edition, both the book, and the the festival, hone into music from the 1980s/ early 90s.

The band’s performing are; Marabar Caves, reminiscent of the psychedelic sixties garage sound. There will be a mixture of old classics, as well as, some new material. The Venus Fly Trap are promoting a reissue of their debut album Mars, released in 1989. Pat Fish, aka The Jazz Butcher will also be performing a solo slot.

Alex Novak will be DJing the event until close. Picture top.

Featured Artist: Marabar Caves Marabar Caves had a successful stint in the eighties, being played by John Peel on

the BBC, as well as, performing with the likes of Dr Feelgood at Warwick University, and Dr and the Medics, at their London club, Alice in Wonderland. The band rebelled against the punk music of the era, with a psychedelic sound reminiscent of sixties garage music and the funk music of the decade. Tony Riseley and Steve Goddard are still part of the original performing lineup. Pictured above.

THE ROYAL & DERNGATE: Love Royal & Derngate have been working hard to get some great films to show over the weekend of NMF19, and throughout the week. On Saturday 15th June they will be screening; at 17:30, ‘Liam: As It Was’ the Liam Gallagher documentary and at 20:00, ‘Beats ‘ - a coming of age film set around rave culture in early 90s Scotland.

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Obituary NQ

June 19

Tributes flood in for rugby coach ‘Mitch’ Mitchell

RIBUTES are being paid after the sudden loss of Darren ‘Mitch’ Mitchell, a former paratrooper and well-known figure in Northamptonshire rugby.

He had been on a motorbike tour in the USA, taking injured ex-servicemen on the trip of a lifetime as part of a charity he supported, when he died on May 18, 2019.

Father-of-two Mitch was married to Mandy, and ran CamHam Business Furniture and Supplies after a career in the military.

He was coach of the Under 15s at Northampton Casuals RFC, where he was known for his booming voice, bright pink sports gear and infectious humour.

Darren David Mitchell was born on November 24, 1971 in London, the eldest child of Neil and Carol. The family was soon completed with the arrival of Mitch’s sister, Fiona.

His father was a high ranking officer in the RAF and as their parents moved around the world with his job, the children were sent to boarding school, with Mitch attending Bedford Modern.

After school, Mitch went to Sandhurst as an officer and joined the Parachute Regiment, and served, among other places, in Northern Ireland.

Mandy said: “Mitch was always going to join the forces, he was very proud of his father and wanted to follow in his foot steps.

He was a very proud Para.’”

After leaving the forces, Mitch met Mandy they courted for two years before marrying in 1999. Soon they were blessed to have their first son Cameron, followed by Hamish in 2004.

Mitch joined the Casuals rugby club in around 1996 and when his playing career ended, (because he got too old, according to Mandy) he took on the training of the next generation of lads, including the now-under 15s when they were just six years old.

Mitch was clearly a huge figure at the club and spent many happy times down at the Rushmills-based rugby ground.

Tributes from the club have been shared across social media for Mitch expressing the shock and sadness about his death.

As well as being an avid motorcyclist, Mitch also spent many happy holidays on his boat down at Hayling Island.

Norman Barker, former NSB rugby coach who worked with Mitch in recent years at Casuals, said: “Mitch used to bellow at them, probably from all his years in the military, but he was a very kind man and the boys

DARREN Mitchell, known to all as Mitch, and his wife Mandy, and sons Cameron and Hamish

understood him. I admired him greatly for how he supported both the boys, and the army through his charity work, and I’m gobsmacked that he should go so soon.”

Neil Haskins, Casuals team-mate and friend said: “Mitch tipified the ‘Club-man’,

not only as a player but being at the heart of the rugby family too. We are planning to honour his memory in the new season. in a number of ways.”

Details about the funeral arrangements will be shared by the family once finalised.

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Rugby

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MITCH when he joined the Parachute Regiment and in full Scottish dress on his wedding day - he was a devoted Scot despite his English upbringing

Steve Scoles Editor

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nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 01604 550037

earing that Mitch had died was a proper sucker punch, swinging in from nowhere and landing with reality-jolting force.

The phone call that delivered the news was brief and in that moment I contributed little more than my own foul-mouthed sense of shock.

The message wasn’t even really for me, but Mitch was one of those people who were a much bigger deal in your life than you realised. The message was for my son, Billy because Mitch was the coach of the Casuals Rugby Club U15s.

He had coached them from their first day in a Casuals shirt, when Billy was just six. In those days they ran around like a spilled bag of kittens snatching tags off Velcro belts and throwing the ball in any direction they could get it to go.

Mitch, an ex-para, must have seemed enormous to them as he bluntly boomed out his coaching instructions, not sparing anyone’s feelings if he thought they could do better.

You didn’t ever have to wonder if Mitch was disappointed in you. He would let you know, whether you were a player, parent or official.

I got a dressing down for bringing Billy late once. To be fair I deserved it more than once but I pulled my socks up.

What makes me smile about it now is that in reality, the situation didn’t represent the balance of power at all. Coaches need the parents onside: paying subscription

Memories of Mitch will see teen team through fees, choosing their club over another club. Calling them out for showing up late might seem the obvious thing to do but in the precarious world of mini-rugby team management it was a typically ballsy move from Mitch.

All the other parents thought me getting told off was funny too - little suck-ups.

The truth was Mitch showed incredible commitment to his team which he was developing in the Casuals way - if you turn up you take part, no matter your experience or ability. Week in, week out, Mitch drilled in the skills whether he had five players or 15 to work with.

In the winter months he would arrive in what might best be described as moraleboosting shorts, often pink, sometimes with leopard print stripes down the side.

In this way, no matter how cold the wind or how dismal the defeat, Mitch would ensure you always had something else to think about.

With the Casuals’ inclusive ethos at the heart of the team, especially through the younger years, there were indeed some dismal defeats at the hands of bigger, faster players from more selective teams.

Mitch’s larger than life persona allowed the boys to treat triumph and defeat as the twin impostors they are. Getting told you were the Casuals man-of-the-match at the end of a big pasting still meant you had a spring in your step, because it was hardto-please Mitch who was handing out the honour.

Ten years on, that team, including Mitch’s excellent son Hamish, are getting bigger and the odds are starting to even out. In the

season just finished they have beaten teams they used to lose to, they move the ball through their hands with confidence and trust their teammates to make their tackles.

I once experienced coaching of a sort from Mitch in a completely different environment. It was at a business breakfast and Mitch had been nominated to provide a brief session for the delegates on health and safety.

I wondered how Mitch’s no nonsense approach would translate, and was slightly dazzled to see him produce an inflatable doll (as seen at stag and hen dos) to serve at his crash test dummy through a range of health and safety scenarios. There is no other single piece of health and safety training that has embedded itself in my mind so effectively.

It also made me realise how seriously he took training the boys.

If one part of the mosaic of tragedies that comes with Mitch’s passing is that he will not see his team realise their full potential (and it is his team, albeit superbly advised and supported by the legendary Norman Barker). It is worth remembering that he would be the least surprised of all of us by any success they have.

“They remembered to make their tackles” or “they remembered to pass it” was always his explanation for a victory with a beaming smile hanging from ear to ear.

I’m not really a religious person at all and I tend towards the sceptical about an afterlife, but I do feel with absolute confidence that if there is a way he could be watching the team next season then he will be. Thankyou so much Mitch. You did an excellent job.

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Cobblers

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Follow @NQNTFC on Twitter for tweets from the terraces about Northampton Town

Putting the pieces together Tom Reed

Cobblers Correspondent nenequirer@gmail.com @thenenequirer 07517378173

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obblers boss Keith Curle loves a board game pun and talks a lot about the “jigsaw” puzzle of team building at Sixfields.

Last season the jigsaw got thrown all over the floor by former manager Dean Austin before Curle came in and started putting the pieces back together.

Town finished the 2018/19 campaign in mid-table which was a disappointing showing for a team that had come down from League 1. Curle’s retained list was as savage as an episode of Game Of Thrones with Dean Bowditch, Jack Bridge, David Buchanan, Luke Coddington, Shay Facey, Sam Foley, James Goff and Joe Iaciofano all getting the chop.

Meanwhile, Billy Waters and Joe Bunney were placed on the transfer list while Ash Taylor saw his contract terminated by mutual consent.

Club legend John-Joe O’Toole then joined

the exodus, choosing not to take up a contract option and instead signing for League 1 Burton Albion. The lustrously haired centre-midfielder was a key member of Wilder’s Wonders 2015/16 League 2 title winning side with only Sam Hoskins now remaining in the Cobblers lineup.

Clarets boss Curle moved quickly to bring in left wing-back Joe Martin on a 2 year deal. The 30 year-old had been released by Stevenage but has plenty of Football League experience having played 300 EFL games at clubs such as Millwall and Blackpool.

Curle also shored up the Town midfield with the acquisition of Chris Lines on a two year deal. Veteran Lines was a fans’ favourite at Bristol Rovers and Northampton fans will be hoping the centre-mid will bring the passing ability and tenacity that saw him succeed at Rovers.

Then Curle snapped up Macclesfield Town target man Harry Smith from Macclesfield Town. 6ft 5” forward Smith joins a lofty list of tall Cobblers forwards such as Steve Howard and Poul Hubertz and will be expected to improve upon the 9 goals he notched for the

Silkmen last term.

Keith Curle seems to be signing certain “types” to fit his in your face playing style and has commented that incoming personnel to the Cobblers will have to show the right mental attributes alongside the physical traits needed for success.

Much will depend on Curle’s ability to bring players with a winning mentality to Town given Cobblers drew far too many games last season.

As always, eyes will be on Sixfields’ unfinished East Stand, which looms over the on pitch proceedings. Work stopped on the stand shell in 2014 and as this article is being written it seems that no work will be completed this Summer. Until the club gets to grips with its physical infrastructure issues Curle will continue to lack the base to complete his puzzles in peace.

Sheffield United visit Sixfields for a poignant friendly on Saturday 20th July.

The return of Premier League manager and ex-Cobbler Chris Wilder will be a reminder of how the club have struggled to kick on since the heady days of his stewardship.

NQ

June 19

Sport

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