Click here to return to the main site entry page
Click here to return to the previous page

Rushden Industrial Co-operative Society

The High Street Department Store in 1955

This 1955 photograph shows the main High Street store and the Co-op Hall above, before the refurbishment when a new canopy was added and the store expanded into adjoining shops.

The Succoth chapel can just be seen right of the store, with the corner entrance to the Rose and Crown on the opposite side.

Note too the lampost, the Belisha crossing lamp at the bottom of the "jetty" through to the main offices, and old "no waiting" signs.

Shop front and canopy
The shop front and canopy

Display of men's wear
Display of men's wear

The shoe window Shoe department into lingerie
The shoe window
Shoe department into lingerie
Joan Billingham in the shoe department In the shoe department
Joan Billingham in the shoe department
In the shoe department

Chris Taylor
Chris Taylor in the Men's wear department
Mary McNeil
Mary McNeil in the gloves and scarves section
ground floor departments
Lower departments taken from the stairs to the upper floor

Haberdashery and the stairs
Haberdashery and the stairs to the upper floor
Mary M ould serving a customer
Mary Mould serving a customer
Betty Eaton & Diana Hancock in the linen department

More ladies' wear
More ladies' wear
More ladies' wear

Lingerie Department
Josie White and Lorraine Marshall in the lingerie department
Margaret Hawkins and Lorraine Marshall in ladies wear

In 1981 Budgens took over Bishops store and moved to College Street.
The Co-op then turned this into the Home & Fashion Department, the
Co-op Bank and milk check purchases were moved to the back inside this store. Following rebuilding of the whole store in 1991 they closed down
in 1994 and the name vanished from the town.


Click here to return to the main index of features
Click here to return to the History index
Click here to e-mail us