It is just possible that our Loyal reader may not remember that fbb's grandmother lived at No 7 Norman Road Northampton. Bereaved as a result of World War 1, she bravely brought up fbb's dad as a single mum, battling with rules and convention to be allowed to rent a council house.
At the bottom of the road was Northampton Corporation bus route 1 from Town to Weston Favell (The Trumpet).
Tottering in the opposite direction, Norman Road becomes Lindsay Avenue and crosses Birchfield Road East. Here, routes 2 and 21 to Bush Hill/Bushland Road/Cottarville (various names as the road and route system developed) had a stop, equally useful for Granulating!
But take note f that little building with a small bell tower, just along Lindsay Avenue from the bus \stop.
Venture inside and you will find yourself in Abington Branch Library ...
... whither your author was wont to accompany granny as she replenished her stocks of "a nice romance" published by Mills and Boon. Note the architecture of the building.
Northampton correspondent Alan takes up the story:-
Just after the end of the First World War a new housing estate was built on the eastern side of Northampton. Some of the streets were named after our ancestors, Briton Road, Danefield Road, Mercia Gardens, Saxon Street … and Norman Road.
Bus routes were progressively developed along four parallel roads through the development ...
The aforementioned service 1 (Wellingborough Road), 2/21 Birchfield Road East, then 15 to Head;ands via Broadway and 4 to Broadmead Avenue. Amazing;y ALL FOUR are still served by reasonably frequent bus routes.
Alan continues:-
In 1923 a small neighbourhood church was built near the junction of Lindsay Avenue and Birchfield Road East. By the 1930’s something bigger was needed and the larger new church of St. Alban in nearby Broadmead Avenue was opened and consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough on October 1st 1938.
Eventually the county borough council purchased the Lindsay Avenue building which the church no longer needed. It opened as public library on September 30th 1939 so we are celebrating eighty years of there being a library on the site – but for how much longer?
While the English national bus network is merely being allowed to decay by neglect more systematic efforts are being made to dismantle the 170 year old public library system. Yes it is all on the internet, and in some cases only there. One of the many reasons we still need public libraries is to provide a local place where those who have problems finding it can get help.
Northamptonshire County Council has decided that if it dumps responsibility for half of its public libraries including Abington, on to volunteers, who may swim or sink, the remaining half will meet its legal responsibility to provide the service, yes it’s not an option it is statutory. They are confident of no intervention from the Department of Culture, a government department even more hopeless than DaFT. At one time Abington’s local MP was minister for libraries.
Things look grim for rural buses and branch libraries.
But, never mind; Boris and his chums will make is all better after Br*x*t (due in 2027, it appears!)
Alan continues:-
In 1923 a small neighbourhood church was built near the junction of Lindsay Avenue and Birchfield Road East. By the 1930’s something bigger was needed and the larger new church of St. Alban in nearby Broadmead Avenue was opened and consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough on October 1st 1938.
While the English national bus network is merely being allowed to decay by neglect more systematic efforts are being made to dismantle the 170 year old public library system. Yes it is all on the internet, and in some cases only there. One of the many reasons we still need public libraries is to provide a local place where those who have problems finding it can get help.
Northamptonshire County Council has decided that if it dumps responsibility for half of its public libraries including Abington, on to volunteers, who may swim or sink, the remaining half will meet its legal responsibility to provide the service, yes it’s not an option it is statutory. They are confident of no intervention from the Department of Culture, a government department even more hopeless than DaFT. At one time Abington’s local MP was minister for libraries.
Things look grim for rural buses and branch libraries.
But, never mind; Boris and his chums will make is all better after Br*x*t (due in 2027, it appears!)
For the record, here is an extract from the Stagecoach network map for Northampton which shows services on all four corridors through Abington.
Broadmead\Avenue has a modest half hourly 7 (YELLOW) but this is much improved by the competitive 21 from Uno who.
One snippet has emerged from this wallowing in ex libris nostalgia. At the "a" of Lindsay in the uno map above was a little triangle of roads called Lindsay Square where stood a little general store. fbb in his early years often ran a frequent but imaginary bus service (on bicycle) between granny's pad a t7 Norman Road. His destination blind was a strip of paper rolling between two pencils inserted in a Typhoo tea packet turned inside out a re-glued. It was fixed to the lamp bracket.
Layover was taken at Lindsay Square where a fourpenny crunchy was purchased from the shop (but not on every trip due to financial constraints!).
The shop is still there ...
And a terrible confession! fbb never knew that granny's library was once a church; he merely assumed it was Northampton Council's exuberant design!
A Sign Of The Times!
Photographed by Alan at Thorpe Waterville on the A605 north east from Thrapston, Northamptonshire.
'Wide berth' is most commonly found in the phrases 'keep a wide berth of', 'give a wide berth to' etc. It was originally a nautical term. We now think of a ship's berth as the place where the ship is moored. Before that though it meant 'a place where there is sea room to moor a ship'.
Young Gavin, who makes the signs, needs a better education - a sign of the times.
Typhoon Hagibis
There is, quite rightly, huge sympathy for the loved ones who have lost their lives in the Tokyo area; also those who have lost their property. The effect on public transport will take some time to sort out, as illustrated by these two tweeted pictures.
Why Your Model Loco's are Expensive.
This from Rapido Trains concerning its model of an American diesel loco.
This doesn't happen any more. Customers want (possibly) and are prepared to pay for (obviously because the products sell) their particular choice of vehicle with all its details shown correctly.
Tomorrow we take a look at EMT.
Next Europe blog (?) : Wednesday 16th October
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