Northampton Carnival 2013 moves to Far Cotton Rec

Northampton Carnival has been moved from Delapre Park to Far Cotton Rec because of urgent work to restore the ground at Delapre, which was badly damaged during the wet weather last year.

The Carnival parade route is slightly changed.

The parade will leave Asda car park in London Road at 2.00pm on Saturday 8 June and travel on London Road, Far Cotton to Bridge Street, All Saints, Abington Street, St Giles Street, Guildhall Road, Swan Street, Victoria Promenade and back into London Road, St Leonards Road, Towcester Road, Delapre Crescent Road and finish at Far Cotton Rec.

The Carnival show of trade stands, a funfair and stage entertainment will then take place on Far Cotton Rec from Noon until 7.30pm.

Morcea Walker

Quote from NCAC Chair Morcea Walker said

 "Although there is a change of venue, we are looking forward to this year’s event.  As always we have a variety of stalls, fun fair and live entertainment on the stage. The paraders in keeping with this year’s theme "Celebrating Nature – a Carnival Safari” are preparing creative interpretations for display in the parade. We look forward to crowds of people lining the streets of Northampton and visiting the park for a fantastic day out.”

 Cllr David Makintosh

Cllr David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, said:

"Northampton Carnival is a vibrant and important part of the town’s calendar and we always support it in every way we can but the work at Delapre Park means that it can’t be used by vehicles until later in the summer.

"I am pleased that the Carnival Committee has agreed to use Far Cotton Rec, which is a great location in the heart of the community and I’m looking forward to another fantastic carnival on June 8."

Chart-topper Sandra Cross announced
 as headline act at Northampton carnival

Join Northampton Carnival

 2013 on facebook

IFM Best of Podcast - 21st-25th January

Hiya! Stephen Mitchell here for  the “Best of” Inspiration FM Podcast, dated 21st - 25th January 2013. If you stumbled across this by mistake then basically every weekend you will be able download this podcast and listen on your way to work or going to sleep. This weeks podcast includes the following interviews:- Anjoner Roy from the Rights Equality Council – The new Mid Morning Show sponsors "BHB  Law". – Councillor David Mackintosh – Northampton Recovery during the recession. – Ian talking about his event last Thursday at the Picturedrome. – Nigel Cole from the British Heart Foundation to talk about the Peak the Peak challenge, how you can be a part of & donate. If you have any questions about any of our interviews or what you would like to hear on the podcast then e-mail studio@inspirationfm.com with the subject podcast.

Listen again now expired from the website!

Check out the Inspiration FM Community Radio website 
for more news a features 

Check the facebook page also here

Follow Inspiration FM Community Radio for Northampton on 'Twitter'

Jubilee tree planted to replace Delapre oak

A Royal Oak sapling donated by the Woodland Trust will be planted in the grounds of Delapre Abbey on 14 January to replace a 250 year old oak that fell as a result of the bad weather last June.

The replacement oak was grown from a seed gathered from one of the royal estates as part of the Woodland Trust’s celebration of the queen’s jubilee.

Councillor David Mackintosh, leader of Northampton Borough Council, will be planting the tree as near to where the old oak stood as its roots will allow.  He will be joined by councillor John Caswell, Northampton Borough Council cabinet member for the environment, and members of the Friends of Delapre Abbey.

Councillor Mackintosh said:

 "It was very sad to lose the old oak last year.  Although we gave it a new lease of life by making a bench for park users, I am very happy to be planting the new oak.  The Olympics and jubilee celebrations made 2012 a year to remember and the new oak with its royal connections will be lasting reminder for us.”

As well as the Royal Oak, the Woodland Trust donated a number of other woodland trees to the borough which have been distributed to community groups for planting in publically accessible parks and green spaces.

Leader welcomes James Morrison announcement

Councillor David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, welcomed the announcement that James Morrison will play Alive@Delapre on Sunday 21 July 2013.

James Morrison

Cllr Mackintosh said:

“I’m really pleased we are able to announce that James Morrison will play Alive@Delapre in July. His style is totally different from Paul Weller and he is well known for his great live performances. I know that with such major names now booked to perform in the beautiful setting of Delapre Park, we will appeal to a broad audience and will put Alive@Delapre on the map as one of the major events of our 2013 calendar.”  

All Set To Come Alive In Northampton!

Visitors to Northampton could soon be greeted by a vision of the town’s past as a heritage project is set to highlight centuries of Northampton’s rich history.

Plans are being developed by Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, Friends of Northampton Castle and the Churches Conservation Trust to create a heritage gateway on the former site of the town’s castle. As a former seat of power for the kings and queens of England, Northampton’s history is nationally significant as the town has witnessed many major events through the centuries.

Councillor David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council said:

 "The story of our town is fascinating, and we need to do more to celebrate the importance of Northampton through the ages. Through Northampton Alive and our Enterprise Zone it is easy to see our town has a bright future, but just how much do people know of our rich heritage? We have the opportunity to make a feature of our heritage and attract more visitors to our town.”

The proposed heritage gateway would be located at the western entrance to the town centre. Taking in Castle Station, St Peter’s Church and Black Lion Inn as well as the wider area. 

Councillor Mackintosh added:

 

 "When people arrive in Northampton I want them to feel they are coming to a town that is proud of its heritage. We have stories that need telling. A heritage gateway would help us bring together much of our history as well as drawing attention to our many other historic assets.

"There is a real interest in where we have come from. Looking back through the centuries we have monarchs and crusading knights, traitors and plotters, the families of the America’s Founding Fathers, craftsmen of the highest quality and much more. At last we are starting to bring this all together for residents and visitors who want to discover our past.”

Further information about the proposals to create a heritage gateway will be discussed by Northampton Borough Council in the new year.

Fund will give facelift to town centre

A fund has been set up to tackle grot and grime and give Northampton town centre a new year facelift.

The £50,000-fund will be used on fairly simple improvements that will freshen up the appearance of the town centre and create a more appealing environment for businesses and visitors.

Northampton Town Centre BID will be contributing to the fund and it is hoped that work can begin early in the new year. 

Both Northampton Borough Council and Northampton Town Centre BID are surveying the town centre to draw up a hit-list of items that can be tackled quickly and will have a big impact on the overall appearance. Feedback from businesses and other organisations is also being incorporated into the improvement action plan.

Cllr Mackintosh said that the fund was intended to bring forward short term improvements including tidying up signage; deep cleaning pavements; providing new bins and repairing, replacing and repainting street furniture. 

"Our plan is to give the town an immediate lift and complement longer-term regeneration projects such as the St John’s student accommodation, the new bus interchange, Project Angel and the Grosvenor Centre improvements that will bring a real boost to the town centre,” Cllr Mackintosh said.

"Times are tough for all towns but we are working hard with our partners to create conditions where business can invest and grow and make our town somewhere people want to spend time. We are lucky that we have a major regeneration programme taking place, but that doesn’t happen overnight. This fund will tackle quick issues that will have a major impact on the face of Northampton.” 

Work is expected to begin in January.

Stephen Chown, Chair of the Northampton Town Centre BID, pledged that the BID would be contributing to the fund.

He said:

 "The BID has already done work in the Drapery and the Market Square. We have some beautiful and high-quality heritage buildings in Northampton and just a small amount of additional work would give the heritage centre a big lift.  We are all striving to create conditions where people view the town as a great place to visit and the BID is keen to get the work started as soon as possible.”

Councillor David Mackintosh (Christmas Light Switch on & Strictly Northampton) (Part 1) Councillor David Mackintosh (Delapre Festival 2013) (Part 2)

Councillor David Mackintosh (Christmas Light Switch on & Strictly Northampton) (Part 1)

Mark Dean chats to Councillor David Mackintosh about the recent Christmas Light Switch on and what events were on including Denise Welch switching the lights on.

 David also chats about how rehearsing for Saturday’s “Strictly Northampton” is going. Mark Dean starts by asking David how the Christmas Light Switch on went the other night…

Listen again to part 1 of 2 for a limited time.

Councillor David Mackintosh (Delapre Festival 2013) (Part 2)

In Part 2 of the interview with Councillor David Mackintosh he talks about the great news about next years 3 day festival at Delapre in July next year and the hope of bringing people to Northampton to show off how great the town is. 

Councillor David Mackintosh also reveals the Paul Weller has been the first act to be confirmed for next year but still remains tight lipped about the other acts so watch this space! Mark starts by asking David to tell us about the festival.

Listen again to part 2 of 2 for a limited time.

Book a hotel in Northampton 2012/13

Royal & Derngate Northampton, what's on?

Northampton Borough Council

http://www.inspirationfm.com/

Three… two… one… It’s Christmas!

Updated 20:58 Hrs 20 November 2012Mark Dean chats to Councillor Brandon Eldred about this years Christmas Light Switch on in Northampton, when it is, what activities will be taking place in the town on the day and who is turning on those all important lights! 

Mark starts by asking Brandon what’s happening with Northampton’s Christmas Lights this year & who is switching the lights on?

Listen again for a limited time.

The countdown to Christmas in Northampton starts with the annual Christmas lights switch on this Thursday (22 November).

BBC Radio Northampton very own John Griff will be hosting the afternoon’s entertainment and big Christmas countdown, which starts at 3 PM. 

  A touch of Christmas Past will be brought to the festivities with the screening of the movie ‘Scrooge’ and exclusive performances from the cast of the Royal & Derngate’s A Christmas Carol.  There will be traditional Christmas carols sung by the Derngate Community Choir and music from the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust.  A beautifully restored vintage carousel and helter skelter add a traditional touch to the afternoon fun. 

At around 5.30pm panto star Denise Welch will arrive in Abington Street with Santa and his pony and trap to join in the festivities before switching on the thousands of twinkly lights around the town at 6pm.

Councillor David Mackintosh, leader of Northampton Borough Council, said:

 "The Christmas lights switch on is a lovely and exciting event which is great fun for all the family.  The lights bring a magical sparkle to the town and there will be plenty of colourful entertainment to help spread some festive cheer.
"We have arranged for free parking for the event in borough council car parks from 3pm, and so there will be plenty of time after the switch on for anyone who wants to browse the shops for a spot of late night Christmas shopping.”

For a full list of what’s happening when and everything else going on in Northampton this Christmas visit www.christmasinnorthampton.co.uk 

What's on at Royal & Derngate Northampton

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/site/index.php

http://www.inspirationfm.com/

Work Starts On New Royal & Derngate Cinema Project

Work has commenced on the construction of a new cinema adjoining Royal & Derngate, with a ground-breaking ceremony.

Managed by Royal & Derngate, in partnership with Cityscreen, the leading independent cinema operator in the UK, this new venture will host the very best in world, independent, British and mainstream film, broadening the range of films available in the town centre to the discerning Northamptonshire movie-goer. The 90-seat cinema will have state of the art sound and digital projection equipment. It will benefit from luxurious leather seating, with individual side tables, allowing audiences to enjoy a glass of wine as they watch a film.

Along with additional events such as film-maker Q&A sessions, film festivals and themed seasons, there are plans to have specialised screenings, for example of matinee showings for the over 60s or baby friendly screenings.

Guests at the ceremony included Cllr David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, and Joanna Dring, Carlsberg’s External Communications Manager. The cinema is expected to open in late spring 2013, and members of the public can follow the progress of the build, captured on a webcam, by going to http://cinecam.namtrust.co.uk.

Cllr David Mackintosh,

 Leader of Northampton Borough Council

The cinema development is part of a wider scheme, Northampton Alive, an initiative that brings together and promotes the town’s regeneration and heritage projects. Cllr Mackintosh said,

 “The Cinema will strengthen Northampton’s arts and entertainment offer and will be at the heart of the development of a new cultural quarter, which will revitalise the St John’s area and give a wide range of people even more reason to come to the town. Having a vibrant cultural scene is important to the bigger picture of regeneration and I’m pleased that we will soon have such an interesting and high quality new attraction.”

Martin Sutherland Chief

 Executive of Royal & Derngate 

Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Royal & Derngate commented:

 “We are delighted that construction is now getting started on the new cinema. We hope that this will be a wonderful new facility for the people of Northampton. We are grateful to all our supporters who have helped bring forward our plans.”

http://www.inspirationfm.com/

Northampton’s lift tower goes red, white and blue

The National Lift Tower is a 127m (418ft)

 purpose built lift testing tower located in the UK.

Built by the Express Lift Company, the tower is now

 privately owned and operated as a research, development

 and lift testing facility. All of the extensive 

resources at the tower are commercially available.

The facilities at the tower include six lift shafts of varying heights and

 speeds, one of which is a high speed shaft with a travel of 100m and a

 theoretical maximum speed of 10m/s.   The lift tower has a drop test facility

 with a height of 30m and a lifting capacity of 10 tonnes and a 77m vertical

 void used for research.

Northampton’s lift tower will go red, white and blue on Monday, 12 November to mark the 30th anniversary of the Queen officially opening the building.

LED lights will cascade up the tower, like a lift, from dusk until late into the evening celebrating this historic anniversary during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.

Known locally as the ‘Northampton lighthouse’, the tower is 127 metres tall and is the only structure of its kind in the UK. The National Lift Tower was re-opened for business in October 2009 and is used by lift companies for research, development and testing. The tower is also well known as a venue for hosting charity abseils.

Councillor David Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council said: 

"The National Lift Tower is a favourite icon in the town’s urban landscape and many people recognise and associate it with Northampton. The landmark tower can be seen for miles and we wanted to mark this historic anniversary during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year. During the evening the colours of the Union Jack will light up the tower and we hope lots of people will pop along and see the display.”

The lights can best be viewed from north of Weedon Road and commuters will be able to see the display as they return or exit the town.

The lights have been provided by local company Stage Right Productions Ltd. The project has been funded by Northampton Borough Council and is supported by Northamptonshire County Council and the National Lift Tower. 

http://www.lovenorthampton.co.uk/love-northampton

http://www.northampton.gov.uk/site/index.php

Supporting Health and Wellbeing 

About community radio

Mark Dean talks to Councillor David Mackintosh about democracy week

Mark Dean talks to Councillor David Mackintosh

 about democracy week, what’s it all about and how you

 can find out more information to make the most out of the 

week that you want to.

Listen again for a limited time 

http://www.inspirationfm.com/

MARK DEAN TALKS TO COUNCILLOR DAVID MACKINTOSH

Mark Dean talks to Counsellor David Mackintosh

 about the new Council Tax Benefit Scheme, how it will affect you, what changes are being made & how you can find out all the information about the scheme.

Listen again for a limited time

Councillor David J Mackintosh,

 leader of the council and chair of

 cabinet for the Conservative Party

 and representing Rectory Farm, Northampton.