I have recently started to digitize a lot of old family photos. Although a lot of these are personal to me and my family there are a host of other shots which are more general and may be of interest to others both as an historical record and also as a prompter to stir some old memories that I hope can be shared in the comments below..

With both sides of my family coming from Rushden and the surrounding area I have many pictures going back to the 1920's. The photos are not exclusive to Rushden but also include holiday locations. And as any person who grew up in Rushden readily  knows you can not go to an east coast resort without seeing someone you know from Rushden. Maybe this is not the case these days with global holidays but it was certainly the case in the 60's, 70's and even the 80's when I was growing up.

As a starter, here is a shot with my grandad, Joe Chamberlain in a football team (front row far left and sitting on the ground). I dont know much about this photo but guess it was taken in the 20's or 30's. Who was the football team? Who were the other players?

From about the age of 10 my Granddad took me to Rushden Town FC games every single week of the playing season come rain or shine. If the first team were away we would watch the reserves. If neither team was playing we would trawl around the county in search of a game to watch, but Rushden was my team. Always was. Always will be. One memory that I was proud of at the time but now I question how true it was is when he told me that he once played for Rushden Town and that they used to play in an all black strip. I have never found any old photo of a Rushden Town side in black, or one with my Granddads name underneath it. Maybe someone out there knows better.

I kept on supporting Rushden Town, then Rushden and Diamonds after they merged and now AFC Rushden and Diamonds even though I now live over 100 miles away and can't get to a game. Despite this,AFC Rushden and Diamonds is the first result I look for on a Saturday afternoon, following the action either on the forum or having texts sent to me. As a kid I dreamt of seeing my team play in the Football League. I lived to see that happen! When other kids would scribble their favorite teams in the condensation on the school bus to Wellingborough, I would annoint the mist with the mighty name of Rushden Town, boldly placing it amid the scrawl of Chelsea and Leeds and Man Utd. I was always taunted about it but most of the others never watched a game of football each week. I always did. Great Days. Pop Field, Glen Frost. Colin Sharp. Martin Doughty. Dick Allen. Chris Smith (who I delivered papers to on my morning paper round - what an honour!). They were all me heroes from those youthful years.