Page 18 - Jigsaw April 2019

Glance at the past.............................................................................
Just down the river – Eric Franklin dips into Denford’s history
This month a few memories of old Denford from Miss E J Cooper, born in 1893 and reproduced with thanks to Thrapston Heritage.
“I was born in 1893, in Denford, a small village near Thrapston. There was the Church, Methodist Church and a Manor House, two boat houses, four small shops, one butchers shop and a bake house.
It was very popular for boating. People came from towns for holidays and day outings, as the River Nene runs through
the meadows. There was a ford at one entrance to the village where children used to paddle and horses and cattle used to go in for drinks. Nearby was the wash brook where sheep were washed before shearing. Farm hands brought them miles by road to have them washed. How us children liked to watch them.
One man in the village was blind, Charlie Groom. He was the village Crier. He also delivered the evening papers and worked on the farm of my Uncle on my mother’s side.
Front Street 1920’s. The signs (Publisher C W Vorley, Raunds. Eric Franklin collection) advertise Cadbury’s and Rinso
Feast Sunday came the first Sunday
after Trinity and, for entertainment, the Thrapston Town Band gave a concert in the
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Thrapston Church outing to Denford boathouse 1901 (Unknown photographer. Eric Franklin collection)