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Towcester in the 20th Century
DateEvent Related to Towcester
1901Fire destroys Phipps and Co brewery at Towcester.
1907Flood 3'0" deep in lower part of town. First for 30 years.
1910Charlotte Phipps started the Towcester Studio Band.
1910May 1910. Town flooded after rainstorm. Motors had to be dragged through the waters by horses. Lower part 3-4' deep in water. One boy removed his boots to get the family dinner from the bakehouse. (Newspaper 15/5/1910)
1919Percival's bank (Wren House) purchased by Midland Bank.
1921The Hesketh Boot and Shoe Factory in Vernon Road was destroyed by fire.
192312th December. Towcester Grammar School destroyed by fire.
1925Mains electricity laid in Towcester in about 1925.
1926Mr P.G.F.Clark, head master of Towcester Grammar School, founded the "Old Towcesterian's Association" which still flourishes today, with Rugby football, Cricket, Hockey and Tennis.
1931The Workhouse, built in 1836, was closed and taken into the ownership of Northamptonshire County Council. It is now divided into flats (apartments).
1937The Police Station was rebuilt (date stone 1937).
1939Towcester Cinema First Night on the 5th December 1939. Special permission was obtained for the completion of the building because it would provide entertainment for the soldiers and evacuees in Towcester at the time.
1939Four burials, possible from the Civil War, were found on enlarging the old brewery. (Kelly's directory 1940)
1948A5 Rangers Cycling Club formed at Mr Findull's hairdressing Salon in High Street. (A5 Rangers 40th Anniversary Newsheet, 1988).
1948Silverstone Aerodrome opened for motor racing.
1952-3Mr Law was making sports shoes for Roger Bannister, Cheshire, All Blacks and Springboks.
1958Passenger services from Towcester Railway Station ceased.
1959The M1 Motorway opened, reducing the amount of traffic passing through central Towcester.
1960The Plessey Company Ltd. opens a new factory on Burcote Road.
1961The 1961 census records the population of Towcester as 2,743.
1965Freight services from Towcester Railway Station ceased.
1971St. Lawrence's Primary School moves to new premises in Islington Road.
1971Towcester Women's Institute Market first opened in September 1971.
1972Towcester Health Centre in Swinneyford Road opens.
1974Towcester Lions club founded.
1976Road works near the probable site of the Southern Roman Gateway (junction of Richmond Road and Watling Street) discovered layers of heavy stone set in 28cm thick clay, with compacted orange gravel over. (Ref 1).
1977Roman Catholic Church premises sold to A5 Rangers. (Club's 40th anniversary newsheet 1988).
1982The inaugural meeting of the Towcester Local History Society was held on 15th March at the vicarage.
1982Planning application received by South Northamptonshire District Council for the redevelopment of Allen's Yard, now the Co-op Supermarket.
1982October 1982. The South Northamptonshire District Council relocate their offices from the White Horse Inn site (now Museum Court) and the Richmond Road School (now the library) to the new council offices at Springfields.
1983June 1983. A well is discovered under the Town Hall during renovations.
1983Roman remains were discovered during the installation of a new boiler and pipework at St. Lawrence Church, Towcester. The Vicar, Rev James Atwell, aided by archaeologist Charmian Woodfield and a team of volunteers carried out a dig. As a consequence, a section of Roman herringbone floor./text was put on permanent display. The display became inaccessible in 2007 when a steel cage was erected around it because of problems with the behaviour of some young people.
19846th March 1984. The Towcestrians celebrated their Golden Jubilee with a dinner at the Town Hall.
1984Towcester Cinema was demolished during October and November, after standing empty since 1974.
1987The Towcester bypass (A43) opens.
1992Lord Hesketh Attempts to sell the water meadows for development as a Supermarket. (Independent on Sunday 18/10/1992)
1992Towcester Centre for Leisure completed.
19931993-1995 Major building work at Sponne School physically joined the former Secondary School with the former Grammar School and provided a new staff room and office area.
1999All the pavements, road surfaces and street furniture in Towcester modernised by the Highways Agency.
References
  1. A Towcester Trail, The Towcester Local History Society, 1983.
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