IS our town dying on its feet? The appearance of The Drapery may give that impression.
It used to be one of busiest streets in the town. Now it appears to be in a state of terminal decline, with its empty shops and no immediate prospect of coming into use again, all painting a picture of gloom. On Saturday passers-by watched a group of children playing there in the road which just about sums it up.
Perhaps the city fathers should get on their knees and pray for a magic fairy to appear and wave a magic wand to restore Northampton to the vibrant community it once was and with a population half the present size.
NO SENSE OF REALITY
AN independent body is expected to recommend that MPs should receive a bumper pay rise of around £10,000 a year, giving them a salary of £70,000, a handsome reward in any sphere. Some Honourable Members may be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect, but the feeling is that it will not happen. Leaders of the main parties are against it, while some of their number fear a backlash from voters, if it goes through.
On that latter point they are bang on the ball. The prospect of seeing our representatives at Westminster plunging their noses deeper in the trough is enough to cause the most mild-mannered among us to take to the streets in protest.
The body behind this proposal seems to have lost touch with reality. Don’t its members realise that those in work count their blessing they have still a job, do not expect to have the tiniest of rises and perhaps are prepared to take a pay cut to keep that position?
Those MPs who are prepared to push through any proposal for an increase should realise they do so at their peril..
MEMORIES OF PAST
EVERY time I pass the building on the corner of York Road and Abington Street, now shops, I think about the activities, some bizarre, that have occurred there in the past. If memory serves me correctly, it was once a roller skating rink but it did not last long. It was also the venue for marathon piano playing First there was Musical Marie and then Syncopating Sandy, I can’t remember if either broke the record but if they did it was probably not verified. However, both provided a bit of fun for the people in Northampton at a time when they needed cheering up.