Northampton – ‘Is the love in my fairytale.’
by Kieron Rathe I remember vividly the minute that I heard that my family and I were moving to some place called Northampton as I decided to hide under the […]
Share your story with us
Throughout the project we want to share YOUR personal New Town stories of Northampton and Corby.
Here’s how you can get involved:
WRITE YOUR STORY
You can write and share your personal story directly via our website. Whether you are local to the county, have since moved away, or have passed through – we would love to hear from you.
FEATURE IN OUR PHOTO STORIES
Share your photos and memories of both the past and the present, and have your portrait taken by photographer Christian Sinibaldi.
Record your story
Would you like tell your story in person? We will be interviewing residents about their personal experiences and archiving these recordings at the East Midlands Oral History Archive.
APPEAR IN OUR DOCUMENTARY FILM
We’re making a film! This will include interviews with people from the Northampton Development Corporation, Northampton natives and early New Town residents
Write Your Story
Continuing from our 2018 project, you are invited to share your written story on our website. Unlike our other Your Story activities, you can share this right away!
Whatever your story or preferred way of writing, we’d love for you to share it on our website. You can remain anonymous if you want to.
You can read other shared stories by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
Photo Stories
Alongside our written and oral stories we are creating a photo gallery of people and places with New Town stories to tell. There are two ways to get involved:
Share with us your photos and memories of the past.
We’d love to see and hear all about the photos that you find in boxes under the bed or framed in your living room. Do you have photos from when you, your parents or grandparents first moved to the town? Our aim is to collect and share photos of people who moved to Corby and Northampton and the places they ended up calling home – revealing the story behind faces in the photos.
Share your story with us and let us take a new photo of you, your family or your favourite place in the town today.
Photographer Christian Sinibaldi will take a portrait photograph of you. This will be presented on our website and over on a specially curated Instagram account, championing the range of people who make up our town.
Throughout the project we are aiming to collect and build this section of the website – turning it into a vibrant resource for discovering the histories and personalities of the people who live here. We can’t do this without you!
If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with Photo Stories, email courtenay@60milesbyroadorrail.co.uk
Record Your Story
We will be interviewing residents about their personal experiences of Northampton and Corby becoming New Towns. This may include their personal experiences migrating to the towns, experiencing the towns change due to the New Town designation, or working closely with the local authorities to oversee the changes.
These will recorded and archived in the East Midlands Oral History Archive and on our website.
Record Someone Else’s Story
Are you interested in being part of the team that records and archives these oral histories? We will be recruiting four Interviewers (x4), an Evaluator and an Administrator (all paid roles).
You will receive training from the Oral History Society. More information about this will be available in April. If you would like to find out more now, please email andy@60milesbyroadorrail.co.uk
Documentary Film
We are incredibly excited to be making a 30 minute Documentary Film. In addition to capturing and celebrating the project as a whole, the film will combine archive content with new footage of our town today. It will feature interviews with local people capturing their Northampton and Corby New Town stories and people’s thoughts about the future trajectory of Northants.
We are thrilled to be working with Eight Engines, who specialise in combining unforgettable stories with breathtaking cinematography. Their background is in producing award winning TV and films with previous projects winning three Royal Television Society Awards, a BAFTA nomination, Broadcast Awards as well as multiple awards at festivals around the world.
Throughout the project we will be shaping what the documentary is going to include as we learn more about YOUR STORIES and our HOMETOWNs. And of course, we are looking for people to feature in our film – please get in touch to express your interest in being involved.
Please contact courtenay@60milesbyroadorail.co.uk
Shared stories
Family connections to the Northampton shoe industry
My grandmother told me, literally on her death bed, “I used to make boots, you know.” No, I didn’t know. I knew that the vast majority of my family for […]
A perspective on Northampton
My first knowing visit to Northampton took place when I was a student in London and I wanted to use my new railcard. I have a distinct memory of walking […]
Northants born & bred
I was born at Kettering General and raised in Rushden, East Northamptonshire and whilst I’ve lived in the South West for a few years and the North West for over […]
Then and now
My parents moved to Hunsbury in the eighties when it was still a building site, and I’ve grown up in the town. I remember trips to the Oven Door bakery […]
Crash Course in the Theatre!
I never knew much about Northampton apart from the Royal and Derngate theatre being there. It’s one of those places you don’t hear much about if you live further afield. […]
Then and Now
I feel a bit sad when I see Northampton town centre now compared to how I remember it from when I was a child. I don’t know if it’s just […]
Returning home
I have recently returned home from years of studying (years and years) and how much has changed! The town centre feels like a shell of what it once was but […]
Acidic Lime Signs
The main thing I can remember about the Northampton Development Corporation was their bright green logo everywhere, like acidic lime colour. They had huge billboards all over the eastern side […]
Saturday Shopping
My main memory of Northampton is as a kid going into town shopping on a Saturday with my mum and brother and sister. Getting the bus into Greyfriars and spending […]
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