Such a busy few days that I haven't been able to post.  Went to the U3A monthly meeting where I am Treasurer for the History Group.  As we have a few coach trips coming up it was quite busy taking the money for them.  Artist Charles Bezzina was our guest speaker and he showed photographs and paintings of his time as artist in residence in Greenland. 



First street shrine in Rushden

Thursday afternoon was the monthly History group meeting entitled 'World War One Remembered'.  We had a DVD of the history of the Burton Latimer war memorial which has been moved three times to make way for road widening etc.  It is now back where it started!!  This was followed by 'The Street Shrines of Rushden'.  These were wooden shrines erected in streets, by local subscription, to commemorate those who went to war and those who did not return. There was a lockable box underneath where cigarettes and money could be left to provide 'comforts' for the boys overseas.  The flowers were changed regularly.

152 men went to war from this one street.  This was dedicated on 3 February 1917.

From the local paper in January 1920 "Rushden had lost 400 gallant sons and a very large number of the 2,500 men who had joined up had returned maimed and broken."

More information about the street shrines can found on the Rushden Heritage website.