A massive plan to give Rushden a complete face-lift is being prepared by Rushden Amenities Society.

Their idea is to introduce a town colour scheme and in theory all the town’s shops and houses would be painted in colours which blend together and so “beautify” the place.

Talks within the Amenities Society have been going on for 12 months but it is only within the last seven days that they have revealed their plans.

The plan is still in its infancy but it has got past the discussion stage and concrete steps are now being taken.

Photographs of business properties and housing estates have been taken from which lined drawings are being made.

Exhibition

These are to be submitted to a colour specialist, in this case Mr. Osborne Robinson, who is an outstanding scenery designer at Northampton Repertory Theatre. His task will be to create the harmonious colour effect.

Once this has been done the Amenities Society plan to hold an exhibition at which traders, councillors and householders can judge for themselves the merits of the scheme.

The plan is not a new one but one which has been successfully carried out in Windsor and Faversham and other towns all over the country.

In these towns they have apparently been concerned with boosting the town’s trading potential and have had far more financial resources to call upon.

Rushden Amenities Society say their prime aim is to beautify the town. However, they are convinced that traders will benefit greatly if they are prepared to invest in the scheme.

Mrs. May Knight, last year’s Chamber of Trade president and a member of the Amenities Society, is all in favour of the idea but admits that it can only be done in stages at least as far as shops are concerned.

“If we can get a group of shops to have their fronts painted to a specific colour plan then I am sure other traders will be so impressed they will want to follow suit. But even so I do not think we shall get 100 per cent response. You always get the wreckers,” said Mrs. Knight.

She also pointed out that shops would only be willing to repaint when it was necessary to do so and that the cost would be fairly substantial.

Arthur atop Clive's van, taking photographs from which Clive did his sketches
Compilation of photographs by A J George from which Clive Wood did the artwork below

Artwork - Clive Wood - colours by Crown Paints

N S S Ltd Newsagents - Abingtons - Express Dry Cleaners - Top-Value - Jan’s - Boots

Currys - Evening Telegraph & Rushden Echo - Saxby's - G & M Briggs

The Shoe Tree - Bovans - E J Dunkley - Rose & Crown

His Clothes - The Gift Shop - Bugby - James Bros - A F Keech - Amos Horsborough

Marjorie's - Cox's - Art Centre & Gallery - Brown & Shouler - R K Wilbur & Son

Evening Telegraph, 19 March 1970

New look for High Street The scheme to give Rushden a gigantic face-lift, the brainchild of the town's Amenities Society, has now been completed and next Tuesday traders will have a chance to judge its merits. The idea is for all shops in the High Street to redecorate their premises to conform to a colour plan drawn up by a firm of experts. During last summer Mr A J George photographed the High Street and from these pictures the society's secretary, Mr Clive Wood, produced line drawings which were sent to the colour specialists. Here Mr Wood studies a picture of the High Street as it could look in the near future. The plans will be on view for traders and council representatives on Tuesday and for the general public on Wednesday at the Queen Street schoolrooms.