Northampton Mercury, 23^rd Nov 1844

Wellingborough Petty Sessions

John Astal, of Rushden, beerhouse-keeper, was charged with keeping his house open after the specified hour. Mr. Murphy defended Astal, and the complaint was dismissed.

The Rushden Echo and Argus, 12^th February, 1932, transcribed by Gill Hollis

Opposed by Churches and Urban Council
Rushden Beerhouse Plan - No Licence for Oval-road Premises

  At the Wellingborough Licensing Sessions on Friday, the Rector of Rushden, the Rev. Travers Stoney, said he had secured fifty-two signatures against an application to remove an “off” beerhouse licence at Rushden from Little-street to 15, Oval-road.

  The application was made by Mr. Wigmore, barrister, instructed by Mr. J. C. Parker, and the licensee concerned was George Headland.

  Supt. Jones said he had no objection to the application, but Mr. Leonard Perkins (Chairman of the Rushden Urban Council), the Rev. Travers Stoney (Rector of Rushden), and the Rev. J. W. Brough (Park-road Wesleyan minister) intimated that there would be opposition.

  Mr. Wigmore contended that the proposed removal would be for the convenience of the public, and he presented a petition in its favour signed by 139 residents in the neighbourhood of Oval-road, a rapidly growing district.  The need for the licence to remain in Little-street, he said, was not so great.  The Oval-road house was close to the allotment ground, and gardening was a thirsty job.  They did not want people who were gardening there to take with them bottles of methylated spirits, nor for them to make home-made wines.  The owners of the house proposed to be opened at Oval-road were Messrs. Praed and Co. and they proposed spending £300 to £400.  The nearest public house was three-quarters of a mile away.

  Mr. Headland said he had been continually asked to move his premises to Oval-road by people who wished to make use of the “off” licence facilities.

  Mr. Wigmore said he had four people in court from the Oval-road area who would support the application.

  Mr. C. H. Ballard, one of these, said the “off” licence was required by a large number of people.

Sale of the Land

  Mr. Perkins said the Urban Council had unanimously passed a resolution against the application.  The land on which the proposed licensed house was to be opened had been sold by the Council solely for the purpose of erecting a subsidised dwelling for a private residence.

  The Rev. Travers S. Stoney opposed as the rector of the parish, and also on behalf of other ministers of the town.  A number of those who had signed, he said, had done so out of charity – because Mr. Headland was such a nice man.  (Laughter.)  They had told him that if he (the Rector) had been the first to call they would have signed his petition.

  The Rector contended that the licence was unnecessary and not wanted by the people.  The application, in his opinion, was only brought forward to put more money into the pockets of the brewers.  He was not acting in any spirit against the brewers interested in this case, and he had heard Messrs. Praed’s beer was very good.  He was opposing ‘because of the weakness of human nature and the tragedy of life.’  “If the brewers win now it will encourage them to ask for a full licence later,” he said.

  The Rev. J. W. Brough submitted that the licence in Little-street was redundant, and it was not public policy to remove such a licence.  There was no necessity for a licence in Oval-road, and he believed that if the licence was granted it would encourage people to overspend and get into debt.

  Without retiring the magistrates refused the application.

The Rushden Echo, 3rd November 1961, transcribed by Jim Hollis

Now Children Can’t Get Dad’s Drop of Ale

Although licensees at Rushden agree that it is rather early to say what the parts of the new licensing act which came into force yesterday will mean,there has been a positive reaction from one off-licence store owner, upon whom the act is likely to have a more direct and immediate effect.

It is now an offence for anyone under 18 to buy drink from an off-licence and Mr. Alan Barlow, who keeps an off-licence in Wellingborough Road, thinks this will be bad for business.

“That is the snag already I’ve been turning away business. Most people send their children out to get their drinks for them, and I cannot serve them now,” he said.

Mr. Barlow thinks that in future competition will be fiercer. “Those who usually send their children to get in their supplies when they are settled in for the evening won’t want to put on a collar and tie and come to fetch it themselves. The next day they will get their wives to buy their drink in a grocery store when they are shopping.”

Said a landlord, Mr. A. G. Youle, of the Oakley: “It remains to be seen what happens now that there is ten minutes allowed for finishing drinks. But the new law is a good thing, as it will prevent young people buying drink for themselves.”

He did not foresee any difficulty with people taking advantage of the extra ten minutes to order more drinks: “I never allow that here,” he said.

Will the extra ten minutes mean that hotel staff will have to stay behind longer clearing up?”

“No,” says Mrs. E. G. Tipler, licensee of the Green Dragon, Higham Ferrers, “because we can always be collecting empty glasses and washing them.”

She thinks the extra time is a good idea.