[rowlandwells]

sorry to tell you Jez  I was born and bred in Northamptonshire for all my sins  of cause we aint mean here in Northamptonshire just very careful what we spend 

you see you've got to look after the pennies because the pounds look after themselves I can remember giving someone who helped you out or gave you some cabbage plants a 5 bob tip for a Beer now they want a pound
and won't even buy you half a pint Beer are that reminds me i must get a new padlock for my wallet
 

[Growster...]

My Grandfather was from Northants, and my Uncle referred to him as a 'Boot Boy'!

Is that still the case, and are boots and shoes still made there?

(Just asking for a friend - I think the above is correct, but his name - Doggett - was all over Hertfordshire as well, so either he had a bike or a horse and cart! So apart from doing a degree in 'Ancestry', I'll probably never know)!

[rowlandwells]

yes Growster we still make good shoes in Northampton and Northamptonshire Churches shoes being one of the top shoemakers in the town or even the world mind  you if you want to buy a pair of Churches you may need to mortgage your house  another shoe maker in Northamptonshire at Earls Barton Barkers shoes not quite as expensive as churches but again good quality shoes a friend of ours bought his boy a pair of seconds shoes from there for £95 quid 

we had 4 shoe factories in our village when I was a boy one used to make boots for the army and the household cavalry and many hand sown shoe makers working in little sheds at the rear of there  houses now we have none all gone the only sign of the biggest shoe  factory employing many people in our village that  ever existing is the name of the little housing estate built where Cooks shoe factory used to be so maimed after it Cooks factory now called Cooks Way the locals call it Crooks Way

should I order you a couple of pairs of Churches shoes Growster

[Growster...]

That's fabulous, Rowland!

I never really looked into the shoe industry side of Northants! I'd completely forgotten about Churches shoes, and yes, they're superb!

I often bought 'seconds' when we were starting off, but nowadays, I don't need to smarten myself up as much as I did when I was working, (slob), but your part of the country is such a vibrant area, I really should know more!

One of my ancestors was a bootmaker in Guildford, and made riding boots etc for the gentry etc., so I understand. I've tried to find out what really went on, but information is sparse, and while a great story goes with it (remind me to tell the world one day), I'm facing a blank wall on that one!

A lot of my family came from Clophill, Beds, so we can start off all again...

[rowlandwells]

anytime you want to know anything about Northamptonshire  Growster just ask and if i can help I definitely I will be more than please to assist RW

[Growster...]

We did look at building a hotel on Northampton Saints' site several years ago, and that's about it really!

I've always thought that anyone living in the 'middle'of the UK are lucky, because they can strike off in any direction, whereas here, in Kent, if we go south too far, (and north for that matter) we get soaked!

When our clients built the Snowdome in Milton Keynes all those years ago, the main statistic for actually doing the development was that around half the population of the UK lives within two hours of the place!

[rowlandwells]

I'm glad you didn't build  your hotel on our lovely saints ground Growster as its a focal point  of the town now and even bosting one of the best or even the best Rugby team in the country 

and yes I suppose we are central to the country with a massive industrial building plan for Northamptonshire one of largest industrial developments is DIRFT on the Northamptonshire Warwickshire border massive and I mean massive buildings going up on the old Rugby Radio station site needless to say the countryside of Northamptonshire is a changing place

[Growster...]

It was an invitation from The Saints' board, and they wanted to bring more hospitality to the club, which is understandable!

It's a fabulous ground, and with so many good names associated with the place, I always get a warm glow reading about the place, rather like going to Twickenham!

Good news about Rugby too, as when one of the first big distribution centres started out all those years ago, it was the location of choice! I think ASDA started all that off!

Lucky you guys!