Local News

A Wellingborough restaurant owner is gearing up to take over a traditional village pub in Northampton - with sights set on an opening date for early May. James Peck, who owns the award-winning wood-smoked restaurant, Ember, has today announced he will be taking over The Four Pears. The Little Houghton pub is the third business in James’ growing catalogue, including Ember and Number 13 cocktail bar at Nene Court. The pub will be a really special location because of its upstairs private dining space and emphasis on family-friendly Sunday roasts, according to its owner. James said: “We’re taking over the pub from the first week of May and we want to hit the ground running. “We’ve got a beautiful upstairs dining room, which is really special. Once we’ve got settled in it will become an intimate, premium restaurant space with tasting menus. “We really want to put this beautiful part..

A forgotten green space in Northampton town centre restored to its former glory thanks to a lottery-funded volunteer project has been given a fresh new look ahead of the summer. Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) last year secured £10,000 of Lottery funding to pay for the work in St Katherine’s Gardens. Initial work involved the creation of new planters, bins and seating areas while eye-catching murals were painted on the walls. Plants used in the initial work were funded by Northampton Town Council. The second phase of work began this week and saw new shrubs, flowers and trees planted to give the park a fresh new look. Further work will see the addition of three new benches and two new murals, to be completed by students at Northampton College. Northampton BID partnered with Northampton Town Council and volunteers from the Royal British Legion and Workbridge to stage the..

Chefs across Northamptonshire are uniting for an evening of incredible food, drink and entertainment next month - with doors being thrown open to the public for the first time. Restaurant owner James Peck and DJ duo Reverb Parties are playing host to 70 guests at their latest event, ‘Industry Night’, on Sunday, 5th May at Ember and Number 13 in Wellingborough. The fun-filled bank holiday party not only promises foodies a night of amazing DJ sets and fire breathing performances, but popular county guest chefs will also come together to showcase fan-favourite dishes - with names to be announced in the coming days. Smoked BBQ street food on the night will be cooked by James and his award-winning team at Ember’s restaurant and outside terrace - while mouth-watering specialty cocktails and tasty drinks will be made by their sister bar, Number 13. It’s the second year James has hosted the..

An arts academy for people with learning disabilities in Northamptonshire is holding its first showcase at Royal & Derngate. Performed by Cube Disability Arts Academy, the show on Saturday 20th April has a ‘Night at the Movies’ theme. It will feature special guests from the West End and be hosted by Liam McHugh, who also tutors the Academy on Fridays. The Cube Disability Arts Academy was established in 2017 by Northamptonshire’s largest independent care provider for adults with autism and learning disabilities, Cube Disability, to embrace everyone’s talents and abilities and provide a space in which people with learning disabilities and autism can truly shine. The Academy and showcase are also being supported by partners Front and Centre, a company founded by Alex Hetherington and Charlotte Warren to bring West End professional training to children up and down the country. Tom Stevenson of Cube Disability said: “This is more than..

A new multi-purpose room designed ‘to bring the outside in’ has opened at Cynthia Spencer Hospice. The beautifully refurbished Woodlands Room offers hospice patients the chance to experience the peace and calm of the forest in a comfortable setting. There is suitable access for those who are bedbound, and the room is also available to patients’ families for parties or events. It was recently used for the hospice’s annual Easter trail and has also housed wellbeing groups, clinical team meetings and staff training. The space was funded primarily through a legacy gift, as well as donations from the Phillips Charitable Trust, with the support of Smurfit Kappa and various individuals holding their own fundraising events. Director of Income Generation & Communications at the hospice Anita Frith said: “We are delighted that the new Woodlands Room is now open and is already being so well used. It has provided a wonderful serene and tranquil area for..

A chiropractic health centre, run by a husband-and-wife team, has opened in Northampton. Wellbeing Chiropractic Health Centre was established by Dave and Magda Ballentine in 2013 in Hemel Hempstead, before moving to Northampton in 2016 where they practiced from a purpose-built extension at their family home in East Hunsbury. The business experienced phenomenal growth during 2020/21 and relocated to a converted barn in Blisworth in 2021. Now, the business has grown further, adding new services including sports massage, deep tissue massage and medical Class 4 laser therapy, and needed larger premises. After consulting with their clients on a possible new location, Dave and Magda have now relocated to 28 Harborough Road in the Kingsthorpe area of Northampton. The new building is much larger and will allow the business to grow by adding even more new therapies and investing in a state-of-the-art equipment such as digital X-ray. The couple are also..

Local GDST school marks global celebration with a series of educational activities and the release of their Made for Girls film International Women’s Day has always been an important date in the High School’s calendar, with staff and students relishing the dedicated opportunity to celebrate and empower the women around them. Since its opening in 1878, Northampton High has been a pioneer in girls’ education and remains devoted to the GDST’s unwavering vision to create a more equal world in which girls can thrive. In line with this year’s theme, the school community aimed to #InspireInclusion through a series of educational activities, including the release of their brand new Made for Girls film. The global celebration, which takes place every year on the 8th of March, provided a perfect opportunity for the girls’ school to host their Open Morning. With almost all of their prospective families coming from co-educational schools,..

As the tree planting season comes to an end, North Northamptonshire Council have planted 10,392 trees in parks, gardens, woodlands and other public sites since October 2023. The planting season in North Northants concluded with two final plantings which helped contribute to the overall total for the area. NNC’s Ground Maintenance team, alongside volunteers from the Natural Ise Group and children from Hayfield Cross school, undertook a planting of more than 750 native trees within its second Tiny Forest, located within the Ise Valley Parkland, Kettering. Officers were on hand to offer expert advice and demonstrate tree planting techniques. A Tiny Forest is a dense, fast-growing native woodland, about the size of a tennis court. These forests are not only great homes for butterflies, birds, bees and other wildlife but also a place for people to connect with, and learn about, nature. The planting was made possible using funding awarded..

Racers, motorsport fans and avid gamers can get behind the wheel to race the iconic Silverstone circuit at Silverstone Museum’s all-new Sim Suite At Silverstone. The Museum has launched its latest attraction, announcing the arrival of the Sim Suite At Silverstone, equipped with the UK’s leading racing simulators geared to offering a hyper-realistic racing experience.  Sky Sports F1 analyst and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Simulator driver, Anthony Davidson, visited Silverstone Museum to officially unveil its new bespoke, purpose-built space at the home of British motor racing. The state-of-the-art sims are situated in a new futuristic style, custom-built space at the Museum, which is located trackside of the world-renowned Silverstone race circuit.  The new Sim Suite At Silverstone, which is also available to hire for private events, parties and corporate bookings, is exclusively designed to entertain everyone from motorsport fans and pro-gamers to Museum visitors seeking an exhilarating and adrenaline-fuelled unique experience. Silverstone..

Grime rapper Dizzee Rascal will be playing in Northampton at Delapré Abbey on Friday 9th August 2024! Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. He released his debut album Boy in da Corner in 2003. It earned him the 2003 Mercury Prize, and has since been considered a grime classic. Follow-up albums Showtime, Maths + English, and Tongue n' Cheek were critically praised and certified platinum, with Tongue n' Cheek going platinum for sales exceeding 300,000 units in the United Kingdom. He has achieved 5 UK number-one singles, "Dance wiv Me", "Bonkers", "Holiday", "Dirtee Disco" and "Shout”. UK music icon Dizzee Rascal returns with the electrifying new album “Don’t Take It Personal”, out February 9th, 2024 via Big Dirtee Records Ltd.  The announcement is paired with the release of new single “How Did I Get..

Imagine being uprooted from your family and friends, and put in a cage while over the following days, weeks, months and sometimes even years, potential new families overlook you in favour of another. Being a discarded dog is tough – and it's left to Annie Marriott to try to pick up the pieces and raise their spirits; just one of her numerous daily jobs as manager at Little Irchester's Animals in Need rescue centre. When Annie shuts her front door behind her and heads to work, it's a short commute - from door to door takes mere moments, because she lives where she works. And work for Annie never really stops. Her first task of the day is to open the kennels and begin the process of getting the dogs out for a leg stretch and for them to do what they need to! If they are bewildered by kennel..

Saturday 13th April will see two Northampton based Fitness Businesses run a free fitness day at Hardingstone Village Hall, as part of their aim to tackle the growing ‘stress related’ health problems faced by a growing number of people. The fitness day, which will be run by ‘Prana Yoga’ and ‘Zumba with Chantal’, are offering free stress-busting taster sessions, for those that may have always wanted to try these types of exercise, but never quite got round to it. Stress awareness month - which runs every April, has a new theme for 2024 which is #LittlebyLittle (a little becomes a lot) highlighting ‘the transformative impact of consistent, small positive actions on overall well-being’ – Stress Management Society. Chantal-Lawren, owner of Zumba with Chantal said of the day: "We know that there are increasing numbers of people suffering every day with stress and we want to help by offering people the..

The 17th annual celebration of the UK’s independent record shops will go live on Saturday, April 20 with 100s of artists issuing special Record Store Day releases. There really is something for everyone with records spanning rock, pop, jazz, hip hop, reggae, classical and folk, writes Sammy Jones. Among those participating this time, music junkies can grab exclusives from Blur, At The Gates, Billy Bragg, Bowie, Fatboy Slim, George Harrison, Jessie Ware, Ladytron, Little Richard, Motley Crue, PiL, Pulp, Ringo Starr, Sia, Steven Wilson and The 1975. You want more? The Rolling Stones, The Verve, The Yardbirds, Thin Lizzy, Tom Grennan and Zappa will all figure too. Like we said, eclectic and something for all. Of particular interest to some ‘fampton folk will be the Peter Murphy live release, Volume One – Covers. It is the first release on the Northampton born post punk and goth originator’s own label, Silver..

The Hall and gardens will be open on Wednesdays and Thursdays for the 2024 season. The Stableyard Café will be open with an extended menu still promoting local and ethically sourced produce as well as a brand new snug area for a comfier experience. The gift shop has also expanded, selling affordable gifts, local artisan products and a wider selection of books. The Hall also welcome weekday group bookings by appointment. In addition, join them in 2024 to celebrate 50 years of the Lamport Hall Preservation Trust. Set up by Sir Gyles Isham in 1974, the Lamport Hall Preservation Trust was established to continue the lengthy restoration programme of the hall, gardens and estate which Sir Gyles started to ensure its survival for the enjoyment of visitors and as a centre of culture and education. 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of this momentous occasion in Lamport’s history. This specially curated..

Boughton House is looking forward to opening its doors over the Easter and May Bank Holiday weekends (Saturday 4th to Monday 6th May and Saturday 25th to Monday 27th May). This year, in addition to the world-class art collection and fascinating history, visitors can admire the newly restored State Room ceilings, which were featured in Hollywood epic Napoleon and view works by local artists. The State Rooms at Boughton House were originally built to impress the King and Queen, William and Mary, by showing them the contemporary style and tastes of the French Court. This included the magnificently painted ceilings by Louis Chéron, a celebrated French history painter and book illustrator. These ceilings have just been restored as part of a larger 10 year project to  conserve and clean these artistic treasures, revealing their original splendour for generations to come. Using cutting-edge 21st century techniques and materials, the experts at..