I always feel a little bit guilty when I go on a shopping spree in centre MK rather than visiting my local town centre. Northampton may not have the shiny exterior that Centre MK has, and it may not be completely windproof, but it does have plenty of well-known brands. If you compare the shops in Northampton to the shops in Bedford, the difference is huge, but nowadays so many Northamptoners take their business into Milton Keynes. In terms of the number of stores, Northampton is well behind the likes of MK, and there certainly aren’t enough restaurants as MK either, and that’s if you include the outlets at Sixfields. Unfortunately Northampton will never be able to compete with the variety of shops that MK has, but it’s nowhere the worst town centre in the UK. I’m more than happy to nip into town when I need something urgent, but if I want a whole day of shopping, I regret to say I’ll always head to Milton Keynes.
You’ve probably experienced the journey yourself at some point, the A428 that leads through Bedford, past Turvey and Yardley Hastings, and heads deep into the heart of Northampton. There’s no shortage of speed cameras on this long winding road, but most of the time they’re simply not required because there are enough lorries and tractors to slow you down!
For many it’s a nightmare commute every morning, and it’s not necessarily for its traffic issues, it’s because it’s such a frustrating road where you never have any freedom to overtake safely. We feel your pain if you’ve experienced this journey, nd we feel more pain for those who use it each and everyday, but the only over option is the motorway, and that’s not much better! So until they open parts of the A428 out to dual carriageways, it will forever be a pain in the backside.
It’s soon to be that time of year again when people think up their new years resolutions. How many of those are likely to be related to health and fitness? Quite a few we expect, and there are plenty of gyms in Northampton to choose between.
Trilogy has three gyms in Northamptonshire, and as a member you have access to all of the gyms, so there’s always a chance to jump on a treadmill, go for a spot of swimming or pick up some weights.
One of the most expensive but most luxurious gyms in Northampton is Virgin Active. It’s a big well-known brand with the latest equipment, and the spa room won’t disappoint! There are lots of gyms to choose between in Northampton, but we believe these are two of the best clubs.
Northampton may be know for it’s historic shoe factories, it’s large parks, and it’s enormous range of takeaway joints, but it’s definitely not known for it’s Christmas markets. For the real Christmas experience, you’re going to have to travel further afield, and we’re giving you two of the nearest options:
Ely, Cambridge
Okay this may not be the largest by any means, but it has that traditional feel about it, and it’s always dressed up in style. The great thing is there’s plenty of mulled wine and hot dog stalls without the excessive queues!
Birmingham
This one is obviously a bit further but it is one of the largest, and it runs all the way up to the 22nd December. It’s one of the only traditional Frankfurt Christmas markets in the UK, and there are nearly 200 stalls to visit!
Northampton is a great place to be in the summer. You can have picnics in the park, a walk beside a lake, a bit of shopping in the sun. But with the weather turning cold, what can you get up to this winter?
Well, the shops are going to be packed with great Christmas gifts, so there’s plenty of options there, just make sure you take a coat this time. There are sports to watch this winter with the Cobblers and the Saints, and both teams are going to need plenty of support as we approach mid-season.
There are also some good films coming out, so the cinema is another place to visit, while the bars and clubs will be just as packed as normal. The racecourse looked spectacular in the snow a few years ago, whilst winter walks can be really nice on beautiful cold, crisp days. There you go, there are plenty of options so don’t get too down!
Northampton will forever be known as the boot and shoe town, in fact there are many shoe factories still open, so its effects have not completely died out.
For those who are new to Northampton, perhaps a student, or somebody just wanting to relocate, we’re here to let you know what’s in store for you. The town centre is a rather busy place, with many popular high street shops. Today Northampton perhaps has more of a reputation with fast food. So for those who dot like to cook too often, there really are unlimited destinations for fast food, it’s one of the most competitive industries in Northampton.
With three massive sports teams, there’s plenty of action to see on weekends. Northampton Saints have proved to be one of the best rugby teams in the country, and then there Northampton Town Football Club known as the Cobblers, then for those cricket fans there is Northamptonshire County Cricket, so Northampton definitely is not shy on the sports front.
Northampton is a town filled with characters, and there are plenty of things to do and see, not just in Northamptonshire but also elsewhere. So don’t worry too much because you’ll soon feel at home.
The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is a great place to learn more about local history and see a range of visiting exhibitions. It’s located in the town centre on Guildhall Road, close to the bus station and a short walk from the train station. If you choose to drive, there are plenty of car parks nearby. The entire building is fully accessible and has lifts to all floors.
The museum covers a range of history including shoes, archaeology, ethnography, geology, social history, coins and medals and military history. There are also a number of temporary visiting exhibitions. The permanent collection is deemed as being of national and international significance, and the shoe collection is particularly noteworthy. It consists of 12,000 shoes, spanning from ancient Egyptian times through to the present day.
The art gallery showcases collections of fine art and decorative art. There are around 3,000 paintings in the fine art gallery. The main bulk of the collection consists of British easel paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries, whilst there are also some important Italian paintings dating from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The decorative art collection contains rare items given to the museum by private collectors. There are ceramics, glassware, metalware and furniture.
The museum building also has a café area known as The Shoe Lounge. This is available for private hire as well as being open to museum visitors, and it features work by contemporary shoe designers and manufacturers.
The University of Northampton has two campuses, Park campus and Avenue campus, and there’s a whole range of courses you can study. Avenue is more for the creative subjects like Arts, English and Media, while Park Campus is larger and has many specialist courses like Nursing, IT, Web Design, Law and pretty much everything else!
It’s certainly not one of the top universities in the country, and it’s ranked at 83 in the University League Table 2016, but it was voted number one for employability. Many students who have worked hard at Northampton have gone on to get jobs in their field, and like most experiences, it’s what you make of it. There’s lots to do in the area, and the town centre has everything you could possibly need, while there are plenty of stunning parks and rivers to relax by. The entry requirements are not too strict, and that’s why the uni floats around the bottom half of the league table, but the quality of teaching is good, and you can go on to achieve success after studying at Northampton university.
Cafetiere in the UK, is a device that brews coffee that is simple and whose official right was given to the Italian designer Atillio Calimani in the year 1929. The word is french, its meaning pot or coffee maker. Cafetieres are built to be self-contained and portable. They are used to make hot coffee as well as , at times, cold coffee according to your preference. The cafetieres’ popularity have greatly grown due to the many or rather growing numbers of coffee lovers.
A 6 cup cafetiere is a device that is specialised in brewing coffee for six people. There are various other cafetieres, for instance, the 3 cup cafetieres or 8 cup cafetiere and many others, according to their needs. In our case, we will look at the cafetiere that makes coffee for six. In order to make coffee for two using the device, you need to have course ground coffee,about 40 grams of it. However, you can adjust the amount according to your taste or preference. Then heat some water and let it boil for a while, for about one minute. Afterwards pour out the water into the device, that is the cafetiere and let the mixture get wet for a while. Then after the grounds have become wet, pour in the water slowly.
Kirby Hall is a 17th century mansion which was previously owned by the Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I. There are some areas in this house that are roofless, but the walls show the beautiful historic decorations, while the Great Hall remains intact yet it has been restored to some degree, and redecorated with 17th century specifications.
This hall is situated in Corby, Northamptonshire, and there is free parking for around 30 vehicles. It does get quite busy during the summer months, especially on Saturdays, and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re a big fan of local history.
The elaborate gardens are always well-maintained, and there is the opportunity to have a long wonder around the beautiful grounds, and on the whole, this property is all about elaborate, historic decorations.