Boot making in Podington by Ann Cooper, 2006

Messrs W Sargent & Co of Rushden started a workroom in the 1880s in premises (now the site of The United Services Club) in Gold Street, Podington. Later two other workrooms were opened; one at Gray’s Farm and the other at the bottom of Church Hill. One of these belonged to Messrs E Claridge & Sons.

Mr John Wykes was the manager of Sargent’s and when the scheme started he had to train for six months so that he could teach the others, having previously been a farm worker. He had to start out early in the morning, walk to Rushden and often not arrive home until midnight.

When the workroom started production, he had a horse and trap and each Friday drove to Rushden to deliver the finished shoes and collect the fresh materials.

The men bought their own grindery and heel ball, which Mr Wykes supplied. He died in 1912 and the work was, I believe, all transferred to the Rushden factory and the employees made their own way there daily.

In my lifetime, I remember several Podington men coming home from Rushden on the “dinner time bus” run by United Counties. They’d jump off as it passed their homes, run in and have their dinner and be outside again in time to catch the same bus when it came back from Bozeat to return to Rushden.