Latest news with #Northamptonshire
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Wellingborough embankment closed due to 'suspicious item' in river
A popular embankment area has been closed after a "suspicious item" was found in the Police were called at 11:50 BST on Saturday to reports of an item in the River Nene in Wellingborough.A cordon was put in place while the item was road Turnmells Mill Lane has been closed, and people were advised to avoid the area while emergency services attended the scene. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Canal-loving Poirot actor to open Braunston's historic boat rally
Poirot actor Sir David Suchet and Lady Suchet will recreate the roles of working boat people when they open a historic boat David will steer a 90-year-old motorised craft while Lady Suchet will be in charge of an unpowered butty at The Braunston Historic Narrowboat Show in Coghlan, who owns Braunston Marina, said: "We have already received an encouraging number of bookings, 70 so far - and they just keep coming."This could well be a vintage year, especially with the number of butties, which could reach a record." The 2025 event is the 21st time it has taken place at Braunston Marina near highlight is the procession of boats into the marina, thought to be the biggest display of historic craft anywhere on the inland Sir David Suchet and Lady Sheila Suchet have opened the event before, but never together. The actor best known for playing Agatha Christie's famous detective will steer a boat called Nuneaton in the procession, while dressed in traditional boatman's clothing Lady Suchet will follow in the footsteps of boatmen's wives by piloting the butty Brighton, which will be towed by Nuneaton. Nuneaton was built in 1936 and carried loads between London and the also constructed in 1936, was used for several years as a party boat but also carried gravel for a while and gained a reputation for Suchets will also stop at the marina's entrance bridge to rename it as Peter's Bridge, in tribute to the late Peter Andrews gave £160,000 in his will towards the repair of the Horseley Ironworks structure. Mr Coghlan added: "These leviathans of our canal-carrying past are the making of the rally which will probably be the biggest gathering of them anywhere on the waterways."Other attractions include an actor portraying a boatwoman showing people around her traditional cabin and explaining how people used to live and work in such confined spaces.A candlelit choral concert in Wolfhampcote church will end the rally. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
More than 1,700 single-use vapes seized from Wellingborough shop
More than 1,700 illegal single-use vapes have been seized from a town centre shop, police were found during spot-checks at three stores in Wellingborough, laws came into force in June which require retail outlets to only stock reusable owner of the shop was given advice, but the police have warned that there will be follow-up inspections for any premises found flouting the law. From 1 June, it has been illegal for shops to supply single-use government introduced the regulations because the disposable variety contribute towards plastic pollution, and can also be a fire risk when taken to landfill sites because they have lithium are now only allowed to sell reusable vapes, which must have a rechargeable battery or a replaceable coil, and be designed to be of the premises visited by the police and trading standards officers in Wellingborough on Tuesday were found to be complying with the law, but 1,734 disposable vapes, along with a packet of illegal imported cigarettes, were seized at the third shop. Northamptonshire Police said: "On this occasion, the premises occupier was given advice."However, under the new legislation, premises found to be flouting the law will receive future follow-up inspections."Government advice states that retailers who sell illegal vapes will be served with a civil notice or a given a small fine in the first offenders could find themselves facing an unlimited fine or a jail sentence of up to two years. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Northamptonshire addiction documentary premieres
A man who shared his lived experience of addiction in a new documentary said he did so to show others that "change is possible".David Sagar's story was one of nine in Breaking the Chains of Addiction, which premiered at Cineworld Rushden Lakes on Thursday film was commissioned by the Northamptonshire Combatting Drugs and Alcohol Partnership - a collaboration of local agencies including the police and Sagar, who has been sober for almost 10 years, said it was important show people "you can go on to other things". The 47-year-old from Desborough said he had experimented with substances from a young age and explained how he struggled to break his addiction because "I surrounded myself with people who wouldn't question [drug taking]."He said he had tried "many times" to "make changes" to his life, but said the turning point was when a doctor told him he would be dead in a matter of months if he did not break his habit."At that point I thought 'I'm not done with life yet' and I started to reach out and get more support," said Mr now works for Change Grow Live, a charity which supports people to move away from addiction and start afresh. The 28-minute documentary was produced by One to One Development Trust - which is an arts charity - and follows people from Northamptonshire from the beginnings of their addiction through to their Judi Alston said: "When people are in addiction, they're disconnected. "All the people that are in the film have been through a process of becoming connected back to themselves, their communities, their families, the world and their ambitions in a way."That's been very interesting and very powerful."She continued: "This is an invitation for people to get ready on their recovery journey."We're not here to judge what the pathway is that people take, we're just saying there are pathways."If life feels unmanageable then take a pathway and reach out." 'Addiction doesn't discriminate' Thursday's premiere was attended by representatives from north and west Northamptonshire councils and a range of support services across the Office for Improvement and Disparities, which is a government department, gave a grant to the Watkins, a partnership development manager for Change Grow Live, encouraged anyone suffering with addiction to reach out to its STAR Northamptonshire initiative to access support, treatment, advice and recovery."Addiction doesn't discriminate, it doesn't care about your postcode, pay grade or profession," she said."Even the people you don't think would be coming to addiction services can come to us."It's just harder for those with social standing to open up and say they need that help. It's free, confidential and there's no waiting lists."A list of organisations in the UK offering support and information with some of the issues in this story is available at BBC Action Line Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
a day ago
- Science
- BBC News
Engineer credits Wrenn School for space-industry career
An engineer has thanked his former teachers for inspiring the career that launched him into the space Kightley, who studied at Wrenn School in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, between 1993 and 2000, is now responsible for designing thermal control systems used in school is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, marking its formation in September 1975 with the merger of Wellingborough Grammar School and Wellingborough Grammar School for Kightley, a thermal engineer at Airbus, said: "All the staff [at Wrenn] were encouraging me and were really opening my eyes as to what you could do with science and technology. My thanks go out to them because it's really helped me achieve where I am today." Wrenn School is named after Harold Wrenn, the final headmaster of the former boy's grammar mark its anniversary, a summer festival is being held on Saturday for past and present members of the school Bunker, an assistant principal at Wrenn, said it was "only fitting" to have an event to commemorate the milestone birthday. She added: "I only joined in September 2023 and absolutely love the place. "Everyone talks about the Wrenn family, and within a matter of weeks of working here I knew exactly what they meant. It's a really great school."Mr Kightley said: "A lot of my memories [of Wrenn School] are based around being excited by science and maths classes."To think I got into this industry and be where I am now working on space agency missions... it's an amazing achievement. To look back at the little kid that was at Wrenn School, it feels like I've come a long way." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
