back on the river

[Bluey]

Hi Bluey,

 

I was born and brought up in Northampton, when I was a kid we used to fish by the bathing place on Houghton rd, we used to fish in the outflow from the cooling tower where the water was warm (that's why they built the bathing place there on the river) the fishing was quite good there , but also a lot of eels, I don't suppose the bathing place is still there now is it.

 

I used to love fishing the Nene

 

 

MMMMMM Ah yes the good old outdoor swimming pool. It was great fishing around the back there in the outfall from the power station, especially in winter.

 

I myself was born in Great Houghton and brought up in Brafield. Many a happy hour was spent fishing along that stretch, it was all known as Midsummer meadow. It's all cordoned off now so you can't get any cars on there except in the car park, a product of joy riders I'm afraid.

 

I don't think you would recognise it now the pool's gone although some of the building that housed the electricity supply is still there. The river has been cut out now so it heads straight down towards the A45, and that big meadow where they held those huge sunday matches has all gone.

[dapper64]

any body on the river wharfe

[Team Man]

MMMMMM Ah yes the good old outdoor swimming pool. It was great fishing around the back there in the outfall from the power station, especially in winter.

 

I myself was born in Great Houghton and brought up in Brafield. Many a happy hour was spent fishing along that stretch, it was all known as Midsummer meadow. It's all cordoned off now so you can't get any cars on there except in the car park, a product of joy riders I'm afraid.

 

I don't think you would recognise it now the pool's gone although some of the building that housed the electricity supply is still there. The river has been cut out now so it heads straight down towards the A45, and that big meadow where they held those huge sunday matches has all gone.

 

 

Ah yes Brafield, they ran Speedway there in the late 50's and then again in the early 60's. in the 50's the team was called "The Flying Foxes" and in the 60's they were "The Brafield Badgers", I've got a Badgers race bib.

 

I know Northampton has changed, The times I used to go and see my Mum and Dad I was always driving up one way streets the wrong way because they were all the roads I knew that were never one way, people all flashing their lights at me

 

Some happy times fishing along the Nene there, is the power station still there or has that gone

[Bluey]

Blimey!! you've been away a long time. They blew up the cooling towers in something like 1978/79. The power station stopped generating well before then though.

 

The insides of the main building have been gutted of all machinery and parts of it have been demolished, including several of the chinneys. The shell of the building though has an order on it preventing any further demolishing or alteration. Coupled with that the Avon factory has been completely flattened so doubt you would recognise the area.

 

It was rumoured at one time the armed units of Northamptons police force, along with the dog section used the building to train in.

 

Come to think of it it's been used for all sorts of things from storage of grain to the police use.

 

I've been trying to find some pictures of the place but so far nothing has turned up. Looks like this could be a good excuse to try out my new toy, a Fuji finepix S6500fd camera.

[Bluey]

Oh Dear!! Looks like I got it wrong big time. After signing off I carried on searching for anything on the power station and came up with this link for you. I think you will be most surprised, I know I was.

 

http://www.lightingthedarkness.co.uk/Nunn%20Mill%20.htm

[Bluey]

Here we go I walked my dog down on Midsummer Meadow this afternoon and took a few photos for you to see.

 

Here they are:

 

The Old River Nene

 

 

The New Nene Cut

 

 

By the Old warm water outfall

 

 

Opposite the old power station

 

 

Upstream towards Nunn Mills rd

 

 

As it was a spur of the moment thing these were taken my phone. I've had to reduce them down from 1600x1200 I don't think anybody would have been too pleased if I left them at that size

Edited May 24, 2007 by Bluey

[Team Man]

Thank you for those pictures Bluey, I don't think I would recognise anything, It was the 50's when I left Northampton, Just coming back now and again Just to visit parents and friends, I think the last time I fished by the Power station was about 1960 on a visit back.

 

Whats the fishing like along there now, looks like there's plenty of places to drop in.

 

The old bathing place used to be packed at weekends, but I am going back to just before, during, and just after WW2, for indoor swimming of course we had the municipal baths at Upper Mounts, I lived near there

[chavender]

it'l be the trent for me & hopefully a barbel or two