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Here is my contribution to your memory pages, wrote Wendy Childs. I was born in 1959 at Upper Queen Street, Rushden and have one sister who is 8 years older than me.
We left there when I was seven and moved to Priors Close at the other end of town, a house purchased for about £900. I still live in Rushden, which has grown tremendously over the years.
My very best memory is of my first day at school. I went to Alfred Street Infants/Juniors and on my very first day I stood at the railings crying as my mum walked up the road without looking back at me.
A little girl came up to me and said, 'Don't cry, my name is Shani, what's yours? I told the little girl my name and we have been best friends ever since that day.
In those days the school toilets were outside and bloomin' cold ! I can still hear the sound of the gypsies coming down the road with their horses, calling for old rags and knife sharpening.
When I was 13 we moved to Firdale Avenue. By this time I had started Rushden Girls School and made more friends there. Joanna Barnett was my best friend with Shani Banwell. My other good friends included Terry Bailey, Jane Stubbs and Janet Rodgers.
I left Rushden Girls School in 1975 to move to Bournemouth, where I started my first job making ice cream at Horton's ice cream factory. We only lived in Bournemouth until 1978, and then came back to Rushden and lived with my grandparents.
My first job back here was at Wood's shoe factory, which is now a block of flats! I was the first lady to use the pulling-over machine in Northamptonshire. And then I worked at John White's shoe factory where I went on to be the first lady clicker!
I now sit at home surfing on the computer all day !
Many years ago my grandfather and I used to go the railway bridge at Irchester to watch the steam trains coming through with a puff of smoke as they passed under the bridge.
I wonder if children these days will have such fond memories as I have ? I hope my memories will be published on your website so others can read and remember the good old days.
Wendy Childs, Rushden, 2001
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