The store at the corner of Shirley Road

Notice the price.

Closing down signs started to be displayed at Home Suite Home on Saturday 11th May, 2024.

And this site was for many years the home of Birch Bros. buses, this without doubt, was the best bus service operating between Rushden and London.

Birch brothers first made it to Rushden in 1929, running between here and the capital daily. Some eight years later, the iconic bus station was built in 1937.

In 1959 the coaches took the much faster route to London, using the newly opened M1 Motorway; this was the 203M service.

Their timetable had provided a perfect all day service, that ran late in to the evening, all year around.

Also a shorter local route was run between Harrold and Rushden on a weekday service, displaying 210 on the route board of the bus.

1971 saw the last bus leave town displaying the Birch Bros. name.

Flats of the future.	Store closing.

Rushden was blessed with numerous cafes around the town, because the workers needed to be well fed for their toils.

And we had a very specific time to eat our “meal”. And that was known as 'dinner time' around here, on the dot of 12 noon, until you had to clock back on at 1.00 pm.

Artwork

Just about all of the boot and shoe factories have now gone, but complete families worked side by side in many of them, earning a regular wage, which you would get at the end of every week, in your “pay packet”.

No doubt many of you had your own ‘watering hole’ for dinner, with such names as the Galleon; you could also have had bed and breakfast back in the day, that was at 93 High Street South.

Helpful staff member at the counter

Rollie Cox’s down the High Street, always well supported. Cedar cafe in Church Street, famously for having the first Expresso coffee machine in Northamptonshire; 24 Church Street was their abode, and it was very popular with the Juke box playing the records of the day.

Last but certainly not least, next door to Birchs’, we had the wonderful Airflo, keenly run by Jack Rickard until his retirement.

Home Suite Home were proudly displaying an artwork of one of the coaches that would have clocked up many miles locally. The picture was hanging up above the sales counter, but a member of staff kindly took it down, for my shot to be taken. I am just hoping that it was retrieved, and not thrown in the bin?

The other former bus depot site that was formerly used by United Counties, on the corner of Newton Road and Rectory Road, is now a Lidl store.

United Counties never delivered the same standard of service as Birchs’ in my humble opinion.

The Home Suite Home store had been operating for about thirty plus years, from 2 Higham Road, Rushden, NN10 6DZ.

Another business associated is “Carpet Monkey” - a name that was thought to be a catchy title - that people would be able to remember easily. They can be found at Bevan Close, Wellingborough, NN8 4BL. Call 01933-226663.

Carpets and flooring.

I was told that the closure date was open ended for Rushden, and that a smaller unit would be sought, for future trading.

Thank you to the management for allowing me full access to take shots etc.

Christmas 2024 was to be the last for this branch, and the former Birchs’ depot is to become flats.