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My weekend northampton rant

Northampton is located in central England, on the M1 motorway, 60 miles north of “the big smoke” (aka London). You’ve probably driven past it, some of you might have actually been there!

Northampton isn’t bad, it’s central, and on a good road network, so it’s easy to go anywhere - 50 miles to the east coast, and a 2 hour drive to the south or west coasts. It has a lot of history with the earliest settlements appearing in the 7th century BCE, we’ve had The Battle of Northampton in 1264, and the first Great Fire of Northampton occurred before London had theirs!

Greyfriars Bus Station

Northampton bus station

This monstrocity was built in the late 1970’s on the site of the medievel monastary and underground tunnels. Despite being told about the tunnels, the London based architects would have none if it and as a result there was subsidence in the 1980’s that necessitated the gaps in the brickwork to be filled!

Just getting inside Northampton bus station is a battle. Every safe entry point requires people to go through either the shopping centre, or the dark subways - not very inviting at night. You’ll find people risking their lives dashing across the dual carriageway roads that surrounding the building, rather than go through a frightening underground walkway.

Once you’re inside the lifts and escaltors are often out of action forcing you to use the stairs, and it’s so dark and dingy in there with a black rubber floor and less than desirable people often hassling you.

The local council keep on talking about a replacement and improvements to public transport, but I’m not holding my breath - just pull the damned thing down I say!

Speed cameras

Officials like to tell you they’re called “safety cameras”, but their placement does beg questions. There are so many speed cameras in the Northampton Borough it’s practically impossible to get out of town without passing at least one (there may be a way to do it if you go around the houses but that’s an aweful lot of faffing around if you do it regularly).

I’m not against having proper safety measures where they’re needed, far from it, but you do get the feeling of being surrounded by the things!

The town centre

Northampton boasts one of the biggest open air market places in Europe, dating back 1000 years or so, but it’s gone downhill in recent years. Not so long ago on market days every pitch would be full with traders selling their wares. Nowadays if it’s a quarter full you’re lucky. What has happend to it? Are the pitch fees too high? Is it not worth trading here anymore? Is the supermarket appeal erasing our heritage?

We used to have lots of arcades and interesting shops to browse around, but they’ve all but disappeared and the grey, predictable high street brands rule the roost. Only a few years ago the last true independant record shop - Spinadisc - closed down, which for me spelt the death of the independant traders. Now Northampton Town centre is just like any other town, same shops, same old brands, same old thing.

The fun has gone out of shipping in Northampton.