No Finer Town

[therealpattcobb]

So apart from the three sports teams and Bernie Keith, what are the best things about ere teyn?

Do some of us that have moved away have different thoughts than those that still live there?

[F30]

The ease of getting out of town, the town itself has deteriorated to the point where I will be leaving as soon as life allows.

[Peter Frost]

.....the weather girl on Good Morning Britain

[therealpattcobb]

The ease of getting out of town, the town itself has deteriorated to the point where I will be leaving as soon as life allows.

Has it? Or is it just about the same as any similar sized town?
I was going to caveat this thread with positive replies only.

[Manwork04]

Golfers Choice.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

.....the weather girl on Good Morning Britain

I had a chat with her before Christmas, she lives in Maidenhead now...

[F30]

Has it? Or is it just about the same as any similar sized town?
I was going to caveat this thread with positive replies only.

IMHO it has, too late for caveats now

[therealpattcobb]

IMHO it has, too late for caveats now

Ok here we go

Museum and art gallery
revamped market square
factory shoe shops
Abington Park
Phipps brewery
University
St Giles Street
Royal and Derngate
Diversity
Countryside

There must be more?

(outsider looking in)

[BackOfTheNet]

You have a few of the things I was going to say there - Abington Park, St Giles Street, the museums (both the main one and the one in Abby Park), Royal & Derngate.

I'd also add the Guldhall, All Saints Church and the Holy Sepulchre - all lovely buildings.

We're also reasonably well served by the range of retailers in out of town retail parks, albeit at the expense of the town centre.

And while it's a bit faded overall, we still have some high end shoe makers to be proud of. I still get a bit of a kick when I'm abroad and stumble across a shop with "Church's of Northampton" on the window.

A more positive spin on the "ease to leave" point,  you're only ever 20 minutes away from being out and about in very pleasant countryside. It may lack the wow factor of the Peak District or the quaintness of the Cotswolds, but it's the very definition of bucolic. My wife refers to it as understated, which I think sums it up nicely.

[therealpattcobb]

You have a few of the things I was going to say there - Abington Park, St Giles Street, the museums (both the main one and the one in Abby Park), Royal & Derngate.

I'd also add the Guldhall, All Saints Church and the Holy Sepulchre - all lovely buildings.

We're also reasonably well served by the range of retailers in out of town retail parks, albeit at the expense of the town centre.

And while it's a bit faded overall, we still have some high end shoe makers to be proud of. I still get a bit of a kick when I'm abroad and stumble across a shop with "Church's of Northampton" on the window.

A more positive spin on the "ease to leave" point,  you're only ever 20 minutes away from being out and about in very pleasant countryside. It may lack the wow factor of the Peak District or the quaintness of the Cotswolds, but it's the very definition of bucolic. My wife refers to it as understated, which I think sums it up nicely.

Very much agree on seeing Church's shoes abroad, Milan from memory has one.

And the countryside IS Cotswold like but without the crowds

[BackOfTheNet]

Very much agree on seeing Church's shoes abroad, Milan from memory has one.

And the countryside IS Cotswold like but without the crowds

The one that sticks in my memory was Venice.

Yeah, the countryside isn't dissimilar to the Cotswolds, I was thinking more the villages. Don't get me wrong, we have lots of picture postcard villages too, I just think some of the Cotswolds ones have a bit more to them,  maybe because they've been preserved a bit more to keep their selling point to all those tourists!

[SC Cobbler]

It's a town I would never visit if I didn't have a family connection to the place! The countryside has a few gems though.

[DavCobb]

factory shoe shops

What are the best places (with outlets) around the Shire for shoe/boots around the £200-300 mark?

Anyone? There must be some people with very comfortable feet (and a few quid) on the board.

[F30]

My favourite part of Northampton is the Washlands, a 10 minute drive from my house. I went into town prior to Christmas for an eye test and then to collect some new glasses. The market square is an abomination, a few wooden shacks and a water feature! Perhaps it'll look better in the summer months, Abington street is a dirty wind tunnel, St Giles street is more attractive but there is nothing there that would draw me into town.

[BackOfTheNet]

My favourite part of Northampton is the Washlands, a 10 minute drive from my house. I went into town prior to Christmas for an eye test and then to collect some new glasses. The market square is an abomination, a few wooden shacks and a water feature! Perhaps it'll look better in the summer months, Abington street is a dirty wind tunnel, St Giles street is more attractive but there is nothing there that would draw me into town.

I have to agree on the market. How they managed to spend 12.5m on that is beyond me. They could have spent half that on a general spruce up and used the rest to subsidise rents to fill up a few empty units.

Mind you, they've pretty much done that on top by loaning 3m to the Grosvenor Centre owners to pay for moving H&M into the old C&A unit. I mean firstly, HOW MUCH?!, secondly they are robbing Peter to pay Paul as they are moving in there to leave an empty unit in Abington Street., so no real incentive to bring in additional footfall.

Speaking of which, St Giles Street... as you say, a nice range of shops and the only retailers likely to bring in a better class of consumer, which is exactly what's needed to lure a few of the bigger retailers back into the main shopping areas. The problem is, there's not enough there to justify a trip to Northampton. Yes, it's nice for locals who can pop in, but it just isn't of a sufficient scale to bring people into the town from elsewhere.

[DavCobb]

I have to agree on the market. How they managed to spend 12.5m on that is beyond me.

They spent £10m+ on the East stand….

[singcobb]

And the countryside IS Cotswold like but without the crowds

The Northamtponshire countryside is the best in the country(apart from North Yorkshire Obviously).

[Bingers]

There are some proper s*it holes about though. After watching 5 minutes of the False Grooming doc, I turned to the other half and said "we are never moving to Barrow." and that was before the dodgy ice cream character appeared. 

Come on Dav, you didn't need a documentary to tell you that. Barrow is well known for being the ąrse end of nowhere.

[Bingers]

The Northamtponshire countryside is the best in the country(apart from North Yorkshire Obviously).

Never in doubt.

[singcobb]

Never in doubt.

There will always be a place in my heart for home.