125-537: The Racecourse (also known as Racecourse or Racecourse Park ) is an open space park situated in the centre of Northampton . It is the sports park for Northampton with football, rugby, bowls, tennis, and more. The park has many paths connecting different areas and over 100 streetlights. It is surrounded by the Mounts, Kingsley and Semilong estates. Due to the links of the Racecourse to Northampton's history, it remains one of
250-656: A Danish invasion, the central area of the town was turned into a stronghold called a burh probably by the Anglo-Saxons. By the time of the Peace of Wedmore in 878 the Burgh was in possession of the Danes and became the base for one of the Danish armies. A ditch was dug around the settlement and it was fortified with earth ramparts . Having conquered Mercia , the Danes turned the settlement into
375-461: A water wheel , on the River Nene. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Gibraltar Barracks in 1797. By the end of the 18th century, Northampton had become a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. In 1801, the population was 7,020; it more than doubled to 15,351 in 1831, attributed to the fact that there was great demand for footwear caused by
500-519: A Christmas Knockout! , with the other competing broadcasters naming it Zeskamp Speciaal , Giochi Sotto L'Albero , Jeux de Noël , Weihnachtsspiele , Nyårs Knockout , and Jeux Sans Frontieres: Christmas Special . The show was hosted around an indoor or outdoor ice-rink or on snowy ground. On more than one occasion, when snow failed to materialise for the recording, artificial snow or foam was used instead. The games would generally be played on ice-skates or skis. Mainly, only four countries participated in
625-577: A Grade II listed building. At the White Elephant junction, a tram shelter was built in 1924 which would have been used to serve the electric tram system up the Kettering Road. However motor buses were said to have been already used in 1923 leaving the shelter redundant. During the Second World War, the Racecourse was again used as a barracks. In 1941, a Stirling bomber crashed into Gold Street in
750-701: A centre for military and administrative purposes, which was part of the Danelaw . The Danish army of Northampton however submitted to Edward the Elder , Saxon King of Wessex (who controlled the southern and western part of the English Kingdom of Mercia) in 921 In the 9th century Regenhere of Northampton , an East Anglian Saint with localised veneration , was buried in Northampton. By 918, Northampton had an earl and an army dependent upon it, whose territory extended to
875-518: A closed body until 1835. In 1261, the medieval University of Northampton was established by royal charter from King Henry III . Had it survived, it would be the third oldest university founded in England after Oxford and Cambridge . However, after members of the university sided with supporters of Simon de Montfort (who was rebelling against the King ) and advisors to The Crown said that Northampton
1000-517: A comitttee of volunteers that meet with the local council and other bodies to help with the running of the park. The Umbrella Fair Cafe and The Medieval Restaurant are both in the Listed Pavilion Building. Car parking is situated adjacent to the building. Umbrella Fair is home to a cafe, public toilets and is a group that is involved with local arts and community projects. The Garden in the Park
1125-443: A fixed location in 1996, 1998, and 1999. In its original conception, teams from Belgium, France, West Germany, and Italy competed each week in head-to-head competition between two cities or towns from two of the four competing countries. There would be sports events, but also studio-based quizzes each week. Eventually, all teams would have competed against each other and the teams with the highest cumulative points for each country from
1250-513: A large part of the town. When the forces of King Henry III overran the supporters of Simon de Montfort , the Second Barons' War broke out. The First Battle of Northampton took place in 1264 at the site of Northampton Castle where King Henry III and his son Prince Edward attacked with a large army, pillaged the town and took prisoners. In 1349, the Black Death pandemic killed more than half
1375-483: A licence until 1887. t was sold by the Jockey Club to a brewery in 1888 With closure of the racecourse in 1904 following a fatal accident involving spectators.the hotel was closed. The Jockey Club left it empty for eighteen years, Local residents started to refer to it as "The White Elephant" when it was initially refused a licence. The name White Elephant became the official name many years later. Gypsies camped along what
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#17330930920861500-572: A new Council headquarters, the restoration of Delapré Abbey, the expansion of Northampton Museum , the resiting and rebuilding of the university on one new campus in town centre and the renovation of both the Grosvenor Shopping Centre and Weston Favell Centre. In 2015, St Giles Street in the town centre was named the "Best British High Street" in a national competition run by the Department for Communities and Local Government . Northampton
1625-468: A new format based on the show, called Eurovision Super Games , a new attempt to revisit the TV programme last aired in 1999. Twelve countries had joined and were involved in the project, a competition between eight countries each represented by four athletes playing a series of mental and physical challenges. The audiences at home would have the possibility to elect the two athletes of their country to participate in
1750-425: A reputation as an area with high crime levels. On 22 June 1997 22-year-old Ryan McEwen King was sexually assaulted and murdered in bushes around the basketball courts on the Racecourse after walking back at night from a nearby pub. Her killer Raymond Ellis, unemployed was later jailed. In 2006, the park regularly made front-page news locally for its high levels of day and night-time robberies and assaults, leading to
1875-480: A series of regeneration schemes across the town. Some have been completed, including the opening of the Radlands Plaza Skatepark and the development of Becket's Park Marina just south of Northampton's town centre, as well as the improvement of the town's Market Square, the building of the new North Gate bus station, the rebuilding of the railway station, the designation of a Cultural Quarter, the building of
2000-424: A single heat in any series for four consecutive series from 1971 to 1974. Only Belgium and Italy competed in the original series from start to finish (1965–1982). France participated in the 1968 series, but due to industrial action with French television, they were unable to broadcast any of the series domestically and had to cancel hosting their designated heat. West Germany hosted two heats that season in place of
2125-758: A team that had not won their heat or indeed for countries to win that had not won any heats at all. The Swiss won the grand final in both 1972 and 1974, the Germans in 1977, the Italians in 1978, the Portuguese in 1980 and the British in 1981, all with teams that had finished second in their heats and with none of their teams winning any heats at all. Portugal won the 1980 series trophy without ever having previously won any heats at all in either of their two series to date. The Swiss were twice series winners in 1972 and 1974 despite not winning
2250-470: A wealth of different sports. Each one has a website or online links. From amateur football , basketball, cricket , rugby union , tennis, Parkrun, Gaelic football fitness and bowls . Over twenty Sunday League football teams use the park as their venue each weekend from early autumn to late spring. The changing rooms were redesigned to meet F.A. standards In 2022 the Basketball courts were totally updated to
2375-521: Is a town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire , England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the unitary authority of West Northamptonshire . The town is situated on the River Nene , 60 miles (97 km) north-west of London and 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham . Northampton is one of
2500-578: Is also thought to have built the medieval town walls, which enclosed about 245 acres (99 ha) and had four main gates . Though demolished now, the circular pattern of the main roads surrounding the town centre marks the original position of the walls. de Senlis founded the Cluniac Priory of St Andrew's in the area of Semilong, and built The Church of the Holy Sepulchre – one of four remaining round churches in England – and All Hallows' Church on
2625-472: Is an international television competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for thirty seasons, from 1965 to 1999, between members of the union who participated representing their countries. Broadcasters sent mixed teams that competed against each other in a series of games, usually funny physical games played in outlandish costumes though none-the-less technically difficult, with
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#17330930920862750-401: Is being created in the centre surrounding the previously unkempt White Building. It's a work in progress and has been a joint project with Groundworks UK and the local park ranger. Several schools and other local groups too. It will have an orchard, grow fruit and vegetables and be an on going project. Often blamed for its proximity to the town centre by authorities, the Racecourse has attracted
2875-414: Is subdivided into suburbs, council wards , constituencies , ecclesiastical parishes , and other less formal areas. Suburbs and districts of Northampton include: Concurrent with the abolition of the borough of Northampton in 2021, the unparished area of Northampton became parished with three new parish councils being established: A new Town Council covering the majority of the urban area of Northampton
3000-446: Is the largest parish level authority in England. In addition, two smaller parishes were created for the suburbs of Far Cotton & Delapre and Kingsthorpe . Policing in the town remains the responsibility of Northamptonshire Police ; and firefighting , the responsibility of Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service . The Royal Anglian Regiment serves as the county regiment for Northamptonshire, with former county regiments being
3125-488: Is thought to have been built by Simon de Senlis , who became the first Earl of Northampton , circa 1084. It was originally an earth and timber stockaded construction which was later rebuilt in stone. The castle became an occasional royal residence from the reign of King Henry I in 1130 until that of King Richard II . King John regularly stayed at the castle and moved The Treasury there in 1205. Some 32 Parliaments were held there. The last Parliament at Northampton
3250-521: The 2024 general election . Northampton is currently represented by two Labour MPs: The town existed as an ancient borough in the medieval period before being one of the 178 boroughs to be reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835, with a democratically elected council replacing the corporation before it. Town government alternated between the Liberals and Conservatives, and
3375-556: The British Iron Age , people typically lived in protected hill forts . Present-day Hunsbury Hill is an example of this settlement; a circular ditch and a bank faced with a wall of timber and enclosing an area of 160 acres (65 ha) which dates to around 400 BC. In the Roman period , a small rural settlement is thought to have existed in the present-day district of Duston ; remains of Roman pottery were found there. Following
3500-583: The Domesday Book records Northantone as possessing 316 houses with a population of 2000 people, ranking between Warwick and Leicester in size. With the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the town rose to national significance: its geographical location in the centre of England made Northampton a valuable strategical point for government and as a convenient meeting place for political, social, ecclesiastical and military events. Northampton Castle
3625-570: The M1 motorway was opened to the south-west of the town; in 1968, Northampton was designated a New Town . Both these events and the rail link helped Northampton's growth as a commuter town for London. The Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up in 1968 to substantially redevelop the town in partnership with the local council, spending £205 million to build new housing and industrial estates, initially in Lumbertubs, Moulton Park and Round Spinney to
3750-509: The Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. A third of the adult males alone were shoemakers at the time. Northampton grew beyond the old town walls and industry grew rapidly with the mechanisation of factories by the middle of the 19th century. The Nene Navigation Company had previously made the River Nene navigable from King's Lynn as far up as Northampton in 1762, allowing cheap transportation of coal and other goods to
3875-506: The Northampton Chronicle & Echo newspaper setting up The Friends of Northampton Racecourse (FONR). The partnership looked at reclaiming the Racecourse from the criminals, with its campaign eventually gaining respect from a national broadsheet The Guardian . The group continues to support the park's heritage and image. Northampton Northampton ( / n ɔːr ˈ θ æ m p t ə n / nor- THAMP -tən )
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4000-627: The Northamptonshire Regiment and the Northamptonshire Yeomanry The Northampton urban area is covered by 13 civil parishes . The parish councils of these form a local tier of government below West Northamptonshire Council. The largest by far of these is the area covered by Northampton Town Council , which was created in 2020, ten more, covering several outer suburbs were pre-existing, and two (Kingsthorpe and Far Cotton and Delapre) were created concurrently with
4125-606: The River Welland . Edward the Elder turned Northampton into the centre of one of the new shires, and it prospered as a river port and trading centre. In 940, it resisted the invading forces of Danish opposition in Northumbria when the Mercians successfully defended the town in a siege by King Olaf of York , but was burnt in 1010 by a Danish army, and again in 1065 by the rebellious northern earls Edwin and Morcar . Despite this,
4250-596: The University of Northampton , all enclosed by the town walls. It was granted a town charter by Richard I in 1189 and a mayor was appointed by King John in 1215. The town was also the site of two medieval battles, in 1264 and 1460 . The town largely supported the Parliamentary Roundheads during the English Civil War , which prompted Charles II to order the destruction of the town walls and most of
4375-433: The goods shed . Bridge Street Station closed in 1964 and St John's Street closed in 1939, leaving only Castle station serving the town. It is now known simply as Northampton railway station . Tram lines were also laid down in the town in 1881 and electrified in 1903. An early omnibus service ran to Wellingborough, and since 1919 motor omnibus services ran to villages around the town which brought buyers and sellers to
4500-434: The restoration of King Charles II in 1660, he took revenge on the town by ordering the destruction of its walls and partial demolition of its castle in 1662, since it did not support his father Charles I and his cavaliers. From then on, the castle was used as a court and a jail, but its physical condition worsened. The new council of the town had to pay £200 to have its charter renewed and also required all officials to swear
4625-429: The 'Fil Rouge' and until the end of the 1971 series, jokers could also be played on the final game. This meant there were more points available for that game and many countries thus saved their jokers for the final game. The rules were changed from 1972 onwards, forbidding jokers on the last game. Belgium hosted the first heat of the 1972 series, but saved their joker for the final game. When the team captain presented it to
4750-716: The 13th century, Northampton had a large Jewish population centred on Gold Street. In 1277 – two years after Edward I passed the Statute of the Jewry – some Jewish residents were executed while the remainder were driven out of town. Archaeological sites include a medieval Jewish cemetery and the Northampton Medieval Synagogue . The First Barons' War caused significant destruction to Northampton. The barons besieged Northampton Castle in protest at King John's oppression of his subjects. In retaliation, royalist forces destroyed
4875-450: The 1970 series that the entire series was produced in colour. However, some broadcasters, notably the French and Italians, continued to broadcast the episodes domestically in monochrome for many years, despite producing their own episode in colour. French TV began showing the entire series in colour in 1974, followed by Italy in 1976. Each heat was presented almost exclusively in the language of
5000-636: The 3 x 3 layout and had effective flood lighting added for extended play. Regular tournaments are organised on the 6 pitches each marked in a different colour. In 2007 £1 million was spent on new changing room facilities adjacent to the Colwyn Road end behind the Jade Pavilion. Prior to that, the Pavilion was used by players as changing rooms. These are near the basketball courts and now have a defibrillator and blood box for use in emergencies located here. In 2010
5125-937: The Berrywood Asylum (later the Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, then St Crispin Hospital in 1948, and since 2010 Berrywood Hospital) opened in 1876. Northampton is formally in the East Midlands region but is also referred to in Government planning as being part of the South Midlands "growth area". The town is 30 miles (48 km) south-southeast of Leicester , 16 miles (26 km) north-northwest of Milton Keynes , 43 miles (69 km) west of Cambridge , 37 miles (60 km) northeast of Oxford and 37 miles (60 km) southwest of Peterborough . Northampton
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5250-512: The French edition. With the strike action continuing, no French teams participated in the 1969 series. Liechtenstein participated in the series once, replacing the Swiss for the seventh and final heat in the 1976 series, designated as FL rather than CH for the episode. It had been agreed that, should the team from Liechtenstein win their heat, they would be allowed to compete in the Grand Final alongside
5375-582: The House of Commons lobby in 1812. By the late 19th century, Northampton had acquired a reputation for political vanguardism . In 1880, radical non-conformist Charles Bradlaugh was elected as one of the MPs. During one of his election cross-candidate hustings a riot broke out in the Market Square. Local figures of authority called military to disperse it. For some decades following the 1918 general election , representation
5500-468: The Mounts Estate. From 1632, unofficial race meetings were held at Northampton Heath, the name originally given to the area including the Racecourse. Races continued here until 1681, when they were stopped due to the number of accidents. The park is believed to have been used from 1778 to 1882 as an area where freemen had grazing rights under the 1778 Act of Enclosure. Between these dates the Racecourse
5625-526: The Parliamentary armies were manufactured in Northampton during the Civil War, and a further 2,000 for Cromwell's New Model Army in 1648. Until well into the 19th century, the shoe industry boomed in and around the town with small manufacturing workshops set up in the surrounding areas. The War ended with a Parliamentary victory, resulting in England becoming a Commonwealth , which lasted a decade. Following
5750-568: The Prince of Wales, later Edward VII . In 1844 new stands were erected on the site at a cost of more than £2000. The racecourse was left-handed (anti-clockwise) around the park and a hotel was erected on the north-eastern corner of the park, now on the corner of Kingsley Road and Kingsley Park Terrace. The hotel known then as the Kingsley Park Hotel was built in 1883. It served at first as a residential club for ardent racegoers, having been refused
5875-593: The Racecourse's 'pathways across the course, roving spectators and the sharpness of the bends'. Racing was suspended on 31 March 1904 prior to being permanently withdrawn the following September. By 1912, the council had turned the area into a sports recreation ground. During the First World War the park was used as an army base for the Welsh Division and other army divisions and units. The Welsh Division included 16,000 men (of whom about half were billeted in houses in
6000-523: The best Swiss team. This proved immaterial when Liechtenstein finished fourth of the seven teams in the heat. A team from Derry represented the UK in the German heat of the 1978 series and were designated as NI rather than GB for that episode. Dutch TV (who joined the competition for the 1970 series) became the first broadcaster to permanently withdraw from the competition at the end of the 1977 series, having never won
6125-526: The castle. The Great Fire of Northampton in 1675 also destroyed much of the historic town. Northampton was soon rebuilt and grew rapidly with the industrial development of the 18th century. The town continued to expand with the arrival of the Grand Union Canal and the railways in the 19th century, becoming a centre for footwear and leather manufacture. Growth was limited following the World Wars until it
6250-524: The colours were: Belgium – Yellow; Germany – Light Blue; Great Britain – Red; Italy – Dark Blue; Yugoslavia – White. France were originally assigned Purple, but this changed to Green after 1976. Switzerland were assigned Light Brown, but during the 1979 series, they switched to Red and White combined, confusing their teams with the British participants, necessitating returning to Light Brown in subsequent years, but again, still dressed in red and white for certain heats. The Netherlands were assigned Orange, but when
6375-408: The competition after the 1980 series due to falling ratings. It was agreed to end the contest before the commencement of the 1982 series, which ended with the first outright series win for original participant country Belgium, but it was later revived with a different set of competing countries in 1988. Some episodes started being produced and broadcast in colour beginning in 1968, but it was not until
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#17330930920866500-437: The council spent £85,000 on the central adventure park space including a zip wire, climbing frame complex and five-person buddy swing. A Parkrun takes place each week comprising two laps of the racecourse. It Thousands of members of public use the park each week, crossing it for work or to go to school or college, stopping there for a break in the green space or playing sports and games. The Friends of northampton racecourse are
6625-531: The country left the series after 1977, the colour was reassigned to Portugal from 1979. The 1969 Grand Final ended in a tie between German team Wolfsburg and British team Shrewsbury , who both attained 32 points. Under the rules of the competition, Wolfsburg were declared the series winners as the team had scored higher in the Fil Rouge. However, the Wolfsburg team captain insisted that the trophy should be shared and
6750-691: The county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county. These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry , Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire , whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of Corby , East Northamptonshire , Kettering and Wellingborough districts. These new authorities came into being on 1 April 2021. Elections for
6875-414: The current site of All Saints' Church . His son, Simon II de Senlis , built St Peter's Church on a site between a former Anglo-Saxon palace and Northampton Castle. Simon II de Senlis also founded Delapré Abbey – another Cluniac priory – which still stands today. Other priories in medieval Northampton include St James' Abbey , Graye Friers, Blackfriars and Whitefriars. St. John's, a medieval hospital,
7000-541: The east, followed by Briar Hill, Camp Hill and East and West Hunsbury in the south of the town, mainly to accommodate the overflow population of new residents from the London area. In the town centre, older buildings were demolished and replaced or redeveloped for other buildings, including the former Greyfriars bus station , the Grosvenor Centre , Peacock Place (now Market Walk), shops, flats and hotels. Although growth
7125-595: The episodes for international sale including the English/British commentary. This encouraged sales in English speaking countries leading to broadcasts around the world. In some cases, the BBC would add a pre-show introduction from host Stuart Hall and would often trim the show's length from the broadcast version. Some episodes were occasionally cut to one hour editions for international sale. Points were given for each game based on
7250-504: The existing eight Northamptonshire councils be scrapped for new unitary authorities. In March 2018, following suspension of the County Council arising from its becoming insolvent , due to financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid , sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all district and borough councils in
7375-440: The festival to Billing Aquadrome in 2008. The Umbrella Fair which now has a base at the Pavilion building held an annual event up to 2017 boasting over 10 stages, arts and family events with over 20,000 visitors every August. The Northampton Carnival is held here each summer with floats coming in from nearby towns as well as local groups getting involved. The Racecourse remains one of the most popular places in Northampton for
7500-446: The final. Any country that had not won a heat would be represented by the highest scoring team that placed second. Occasionally, this meant that a team with a higher score, but who had finished lower than second, would be displaced by a lower-scoring team that had achieved a second place. In the rare event that none of the country's teams had achieved a win or second place in any heat (such as GB in 1967, France in 1968 or Portugal in 1979),
7625-636: The fire, apart from buildings made of stone, like the Welsh House on Market Square, built in 1595, and Hazelrigg House in Mare Fair, built in 1662. The devastation led to an Act of Parliament for the rebuilding the town. Local people and businesses helped to raise around £25,000 towards the rebuilding of the town centre based around the Market Square. Streets were widened and buildings made of brick and stone and tiled to prevent such devastation again. In an act of reconciliation, King Charles II donated timber from
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#17330930920867750-429: The first edition of the show held that same year with the title Inter Nations Games . At the height of its popularity, Jeux sans frontières was watched by 110 million viewers across Europe. The original series ended in 1982. It was revived in 1988, with a different mix of countries. In its later editions, it was hosted by smaller broadcasters, with the notable exception of Italy's RAI , which hosted three editions with
7875-416: The former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town. The town tried for unitary status during the 1990s UK local government reform , but failed and it remained a non-metropolitan district until its abolition in 2021. On Good Friday 1998, Northampton suffered severe flooding, particularly in the areas of Far Cotton and St James; two people were killed and thousands of homes were affected. Since
8000-465: The four repetitions to determine the points after the fourth repetition. Between 1965 and 1999, broadcasters from twenty countries participated in Jeux sans frontières during its thirty seasons (considering Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia as separate participants): Each country was assigned a unique colour which it was used on its teams uniforms and equipment. In the original series which ended in 1982,
8125-513: The gang used to hide their identity. Eventually, following a robbery in Blakesley the pair were served with search warrants and police constables found stolen property. The gang admitted 47 offences and were hanged at midday on Northampton Racecourse on 4 August. 5,000 people turned up to witness the hanging as the Culworth Gang were said to have terrorised as far as Oxford . As was the fashion of
8250-493: The grounds of famous buildings were often used for the settings, although the surrounds of swimming pools or quay sides for lakes or the sea were very commonly used. The outdoor settings meant that bad weather could often have an impact on the competition, but the games took place regardless of hostile weather conditions. Infamously, a freak storm suddenly hit the 1970 Grand Final staged in the Verona Amphitheatre, leading to
8375-405: The highest-scoring team regardless of place would participate in the final. Each participating broadcaster hosted one heat of the games in its country, with a rotation as to which of them hosted the grand final. The winner of the grand final would receive a gold trophy, with the runner-up receiving silver and the third-placed team bronze. It was not uncommon for countries to win the grand final with
8500-406: The host broadcaster, necessitating commentators explaining and describing the games and state of play to their domestic audiences. This format made the episodes difficult to sell outside of the participants, offering few opportunities to recoup the programme costs from international sales (although the format itself was licensed to many countries). From the late 1970s the BBC was charged with packaging
8625-497: The joker system was changed. Teams had to win the game to get a bonus of six points if they played their joker, with four points for finishing second and two points for finishing third. If they failed to finish in the top three for the game, there were no bonus joker points earned. The 'Fil Rouge' format was changed in 1981 so that all teams competed together in four repetitions of the game, with different team members in each repetition. The teams retained their best score/time from each of
8750-493: The judges agreed to award both teams joint first place. After the final game of the 1981 Grand Final was completed, it appeared GB team Dartmouth had won the series golden trophy. However, after an objection raised by the Portuguese, the referees reviewed the game and the French team were disqualified and placed last for the final game. This gained the Portuguese team of Lisbon an extra point, tying them for series winners with Dartmouth. A winter festive themed special version of
8875-473: The largest towns in England; the population of its overall urban area was recorded as 249,093 in the 2021 census . Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates to the Bronze Age , Romans and Anglo-Saxons . In the Middle Ages , the town rose to national significance with the establishment of Northampton Castle , an occasional royal residence which regularly hosted the Parliament of England . Medieval Northampton had many churches, monasteries and
9000-529: The latter hosting the event in Praia Dourada, with Belgium winning. A decision was taken not to air the broadcast as it was considered sub-standard, with only Belgian television eventually airing the programme on 26 December 1982. A final edition of the original Christmas themed version was shown at Christmas 1983 in a direct competition between Great Britain and Sweden staged in Aviemore. When Jeux Sans Frontieres
9125-437: The local community for more than 200 years. The East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust is responsible for the provision of statutory emergency medical services in Northampton. St Andrew's Hospital , the flagship mental health facility of the private company St Andrew's Healthcare, is also based in Northampton. Originally opened in 1838 to serve Northampton, St Andrew's became a charity and private healthcare provider when
9250-511: The longest and closed last were at Hunsbury which began working in 1877 and closed in 1920. There are remains of some of these quarries at Hunsbury Hill. There was an iron works by the river to the west of the town next to the railway that then operated between Northampton and Blisworth. This was called the Hunsbury Ironworks and operated between about 1874 and January 1921 using ore from these quarries and elsewhere. Following World War I ,
9375-421: The market. There were iron ore quarries in the countryside around the town during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries which have left their mark on the landscape. Some of the quarries were in what is now the town area in an arc from Kingsthorpe through Duston and Hunsbury round to Hardingstone beginning in about 1860. Some have now been built over and not all lasted very long. The town area quarries that lasted
9500-483: The most famous executions was that of four members of the Culworth Gang who operated for two decades until 1787. Two of the gang, William Pettifer (alias "Peckover") and Richard Law were caught by police at an inn in Towcester . It is reported the two had arrived with bags, which they said contained birds as they had been cockfighting, however the landlord discovered that the bags contained the notorious masks and smocks which
9625-514: The most successful teams of the season from each country competing in a grand final. Each episode was hosted by one of the participating broadcasters at a location in its country and was themed around a specific topic. The show was created for the EBU by Guy Lux and Claude Savarit from the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) as an international version of their own show Intervilles , which
9750-498: The new authorities were due to be held on 7 May 2020, but these were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and took place in May 2021. A year prior to these changes, three new civil parishes were created in Northampton's urban area: a large parish covering the majority of the Northampton urban area was created, allowing Northampton to have a Town (parish) Council . Northampton Town Council
9875-402: The non-metropolitan district of Northampton was administered by both Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council . Propositions for the borough to become a unitary authority failed during the 1990s local government reform and again, in 2011, when the motion was voted down by the council. However, in 2016, the borough council and all seven Northamptonshire MPs called for
10000-615: The oath of allegiance and some confirmed by the Crown. The town centre was further destroyed by the Great Fire of Northampton in 1675, caused by sparks from an open fire in a thatched cottage by the castle. The fire spread eastwards by strong westerly winds and consumed three-quarters of the town centre in 24 hours. Matters were worsened because most buildings were chiefly made of wood and covered with thatch. An estimated 600 buildings were destroyed, amounting to £150,000 lost. Very little survived
10125-578: The park was used as the venue for an international heat of the Eurovision contest Jeux Sans Frontiers . From 1990 to 2008, the Racecourse held the Northampton Balloon Festival each August. The festival drew tens of thousands of people and was seen as a similar event held on a larger scale in Bristol . Due to poor attendances due to a combination of bad weather and festival income, the council moved
10250-665: The population of Northampton. In 1377, the population was 2,200. The town was rapidly losing its wealth and its importance as a national centre. In 1460, the Second Battle of Northampton took place during the War of the Roses in the meadows between the River Nene and Delapré Abbey. The Yorkists defeated the Lancastrians and King Henry VI was taken prisoner. In 1484, the Mayor declared that Northampton
10375-549: The proposed challenge. However, due to the lack of financial guarantees, the EBU announced in June 2017 that it would not be created. A revival of the show was confirmed on 18 June 2019 at the annual France Télévisions press conference, to be produced by Nagui and broadcast on France 2 . This revival would later be cancelled in favor of that of Intervilles , announced at the turn of the 2020s. Nagui finally announced in October 2023 that
10500-492: The ranking of the teams. For example, if there were six teams playing the game, the winner would get six points, with five for the second etc. Each team had to miss one game per episode, but all teams always played the final game. A joker could be played once by each team, which doubled their score for that game. The 'Fil Rouge' round was played individually by each team and after the 1969 series, no joker could be played on that element, although prior to 1970 jokers could be played on
10625-407: The referees at the final game's start, they were told it was not permissible and thus for this heat, Belgium were unable to play their joker at all; the only time any team's joker was not contested. The Belgian team of Spa were too far behind the leading teams for the bonus joker points to have had any impact on the heat winners. With the increase in the number of teams to eight from the 1979 series on,
10750-457: The royal forests of Salcey and Whittlebury to help with the rebuild. In 1678, the Sessions House and what is now County Hall were amongst the first buildings to be completed. A Georgian town with new houses, shops and workshops eventually grew out of the old medieval town destroyed by the fire. In 1742 Edward Cave opened Marvel's Mill , the world's first cotton mill to be driven by
10875-557: The series final. Flemish TV in Belgium carried all the series live, whereas Dutch TV recorded the episodes for later transmission (as did many others). Ratings were thus very low in the Netherlands as most viewers had already watched the show with Dutch commentary live from Flemish TV earlier. The Dutch were replaced in the series by Yugoslavia from 1978, who likewise were never the series champions. Portugal joined in 1979, but West Germany left
11000-468: The series heats, with each heat being hosted by one of the participant broadcasters in its country, culminating in a grand final. The quiz element was abandoned and the games became more comical (though none-the-less technically difficult), and began to be played in outlandish costumes (often large foam latex suits) with the contestants competing to complete bizarre tasks in funny games. The teams could not choose which of their members played each game. A draw
11125-418: The series in summer 2007, in collaboration with Mistral Production and Upside Television. Belgium, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Italy were thought to be participating countries. However, due to financial setbacks, the plans were put on hold—originally for twelve months, but later they were abandoned altogether. In December 2016, the EBU in strategic planning for 2017–2020 included
11250-563: The series were Swiss nationals Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi, who were together on the show from 1966 to 1982. Pancaldi returned for the revived series in 1988. Typically, the programmes were staged outdoors during the European summer months, although occasionally (such as the Dutch heat in 1971 staged at the Ahoy Sports Arena ) the competition took place indoors. Historic market squares or
11375-435: The series would meet in two semi-finals, with the two winners meeting in the final. The first series in 1965 ended in a tie between Belgian town Ciney and French town St. Amand. A similar format followed in the longer 1966 series, with more towns competing from each of the four countries. The more familiar format began in 1967, when teams from Great Britain and Switzerland joined the competition and towns only appeared once in
11500-450: The shoe industry was increasingly in decline, despite the town's factories supplying over 23 million pairs of boots to the armed forces. A total of 1,700 men from the town were lost of the 6,000 killed from the Northamptonshire Regiment . The town expanded further during the 1920s and saw the erection of Northampton Power Station , which supplied electricity to areas as far away as Wolverton , until its closure in 1975. Much council housing
11625-486: The show came from French President Charles de Gaulle , whose wish was that French and German youth would meet in a series of games to reinforce the friendship between the two countries. In 1965, Guy Lux and Claude Savarit from the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF), and creators of Intervilles , spread this idea to other broadcasters within the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Teams representing France, West Germany, Belgium, and Italy took part in
11750-722: The show was no longer a priority, given the cost of living and the financial difficulties of different cities. However, the revival of the show is still a possibility in the future. In 2019, the EBU lost the rights of the format and was franchised by Mediaset for a season retitled Eurogames [ fr ; it ; es ; el ] filmed at Cinecittà World in Rome . The show was devoted to lighted matches between teams from Italy, Spain, Germany, and Greece alongside newcomers Poland, and Russia. The Italian version aired on Canale 5 from 19 September 2019 to 24 October 2019, with Ilary Blasi and Alvin as hosts. In Spain, six episodes premiered on
11875-615: The show, usually broadcast during the Christmas period, was a single episode edition contested each year from 1973 until 1981. It was generally alternately staged in Cortina d'Ampezzo , Italy by RAI (1973, 1975, 1976, 1979) and Aviemore , Scotland by the BBC (1974, 1977, 1981). Switzerland hosted the 1978 edition in Villars and Belgium hosted the 1980 edition in Liège . In the UK, the show was entitled It's
12000-575: The time, the condemned were supplied with drink at the last inn on the way to the Racecourse — the Bantam Cock on Abington Square. The last executions on the Racecourse took place on Friday, March 27th 1818 and were those of James Cobbett and George Wilkin found guilty of passing forged bank notes. As usual, a large crowd assembled to witness the scene. Before the turn of the 20th century, race meetings held were becoming increasingly dangerous leading to yet more fatal accidents with jockeys and spectators due to
12125-438: The town achieved independence from Northamptonshire in 1888 when it became a county borough . It had 6 electoral wards from 1898, 9 wards from 1900 and 12 wards from 1911. Northampton was granted modern borough status in 1974, when it was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district, a subdivision of its non-metropolitan county (Northamptonshire). From 1974 until 2021, the town had a two-tier structure of local government:
12250-579: The town as Northantone , which evolved into Norhamptone by the 13th century and later Northampton by the 17th century. Present-day Northampton is the latest in a series of settlements that began in the Bronze Age . Remains found in the Briar Hill district show evidence of a Neolithic encampment within a large circular earthwork where local farmers assembled for tribal ceremonies and seasonal events from approximately 3500 BC to 2000 BC. During
12375-403: The town centre. Wreckage spread to George's Row but did not affect All Saints Church. The bomber's crew had baled out over Northampton and a body later found on the Racecourse was said to be that of the pilot. The park was returned to its now green state sometime between 1942 and 1948. Football, bowls, cricket and rugby once again became the activities commonly played on the Racecourse. In 1974,
12500-486: The town council, these are: NHS Northampton guides primary care services (general practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists) in the town, directly provides adult social care and services in the community such as health visiting and physiotherapy and also funds hospital care and other specialist treatments. Northampton General Hospital is an NHS trust hospital which founded in 1744 and moved to its present site in 1793, and has continued to provide healthcare to
12625-603: The town willingly became the main Parliamentarian garrison for the south-east Midlands area with the former royal castle as its headquarters. In 1643, Prince Rupert attacked Northampton with approximately 2,000 men, but was beaten back at the North Gate of the town. Oliver Cromwell visited in 1645 and General Fairfax marched from the town to Naseby , where Charles I's Royalist army was decisively defeated. Over 4,000 pairs of leather shoes and 600 pairs of cavalry jack-boots for
12750-622: The town's famous landmarks. The Racecourse did hold regular horse racing meetings. However, these ceased in 1904. Located about 500 metres to the north of Northampton town centre, The Racecourse comprises around 118 acres of parkland and includes public footpaths, changing rooms and open space. Access to the Racecourse from main roads includes via the Barrack Road (A508), Kingsley Road (A5095) and East Park Parade / Kettering Road (A5123). It can also be accessed from St George's Avenue (north-west), Colwyn Road, Beaconsfield Terrace and Leicester Street via
12875-521: The town's first railway station, Bridge Street station . This was followed by the opening of Castle station in 1859 on the site of part of the historic Northampton Castle, and later St. John's Street station in 1872. The Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line was built in the late 1870s. Castle station was rebuilt and expanded over the site of Northampton Castle, the remains of which were purchased and demolished in 1880 to make way for
13000-411: The town) and 7,000 horses. Waggons and field guns were parked on the Racecourse and the surface churned up. In 1917 the park was ploughed up for wartime allotments, and in 1923 a new playground was built (on the side next to East Park Parade) as well as changing rooms and a restaurant converted from the old Racecourse stand and law houses which to this present day stands as the Jade Pavilion (circa 1930),
13125-583: The town, but in 1815, the Grand Union Canal reached the town, joining the River Nene, giving the town a direct link to the Midlands coalfields and to Birmingham , Manchester and London. The first railway to be built into Northampton was the Northampton and Peterborough Railway , a branch from the main London and Birmingham Railway from Blisworth to Peterborough through Northampton which opened in 1845 along with
13250-493: The townspeople certain rights and independence in legal and administrative matters. In 1215, King John authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor and ordered that "twelve of the better and more discreet [residents] of your town" join him as a council to assist him. The importance of Northampton at this time is underlined by the fact that only London, York and King's Lynn had mayors by this date. The mayor later ruled with 24 councillors and 48 freemen in
13375-683: The turn of the Millennium, the town has continued to expand. Northampton applied for city status in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II and most recently in 2022 to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II , but failed on all three occasions and remains a town. In 2006, Northampton became a government expansion zone with new growth promoted by West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), an unelected quango , which has provoked
13500-412: The unprotected audience having to flee from the torrential rain and the presenters being stranded without protection, but the show continued. The series culminated in a grand final, with the most successful team from each country in the series participating. Each finalist would qualify by winning their heat. If a country won more than one heat, the highest scoring winning team for that country would go to
13625-412: The winter edition: Great Britain, Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands (who continued to take part after leaving the main series) and they were joined by a fifth country, Switzerland that participated in the 1977–1980 editions. After Jeux Sans Frontieres ended following the 1982 Grand Final, a winter/Christmas edition was recorded featuring teams from Belgium, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Portugal,
13750-506: Was "in great desolation and ruin". The Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1538 led to further destruction of what remained of the medieval town. Northampton was severely affected by Plague between March and September 1638 when 665 people died. The royal connection to Northampton Castle became less significant, and by the time of the English Civil War , Northampton was decidedly pro-Parliament. Though Spencer Compton , Earl of Northampton,
13875-560: Was a royalist ( Cavalier ) and backed King Charles I , the people of Northampton supported Parliament and Oliver Cromwell 's republican Roundhead army. The town had a long history of religious dissent from the Lollards and Puritanism gained a strong hold on the town. The corporation of the town, having already refused to provide troops to the King in 1632 or to pay the notorious ship money tax in 1636, petitioned Parliament in 1642 against papists and bishops . When war broke out in 1642,
14000-564: Was a threat to Oxford's scholastic hegemony, Henry III dissolved the university in 1265. Markets and fairs were a key element in the town's economy in medieval times. The Market Square came to prominence in 1235 when Henry III ordered that the selling of goods in the churchyard of All Saints should be relocated to the Market Square. Street names in the town give an indication of trades and market centres; Corn Hill, Malt Hill, Mercer Row, Gold Street, Sheep Street and Horse Market. Cloth and wool were very important but these industries declined. In
14125-447: Was also built largely to the east, north and south of the town, including Abington , Far Cotton , Kingsley, Kingsthorpe and Dallington – areas which had been incorporated within the borough's boundaries in 1901. However, the population growth slowed down as people moved beyond its boundaries. In 1901, the population had expanded to 90,923; in 1931, the population was 92,341. After World War II , Northampton vastly changed. In 1959,
14250-451: Was designated a New Town in 1968, accelerating development which has continued into the 21st century. Northampton unsuccessfully applied for city status four times; in 1992, 2000, 2002 and 2022. The earliest reference to Northampton in writing occurred in 914 under the name Ham tune . The prefix "North" was added later to distinguish it from other towns called Hampton, most prominently Southampton . The Domesday Book (1086) records
14375-556: Was established, whilst the areas of Kingsthorpe, and Far Cotton and Delapré also gained parish councils. In addition, there are nine registered parish councils which predate the abolition of the borough of Northampton. These are Billing, Collingtree, Duston, Great Houghton, Hardingstone, Hunsbury Meadow, Upton, West Hunsbury and Wootton & East Hunsbury. Jeux sans fronti%C3%A8res Jeux sans frontières ( pronounced [ʒø sɑ̃ fʁɔ̃tjɛʁ] ; "Games Without Borders" in French)
14500-529: Was first broadcast in 1962 in France. In non-French-speaking countries, Jeux sans frontières has alternative titles in the corresponding local languages. It is also widely known in English as It's a Knockout , the title of the BBC 's domestic version that was its national selection for the international competition. The show spawned a winter version held in ski resorts , and single-episode Christmas specials. The idea of
14625-513: Was held in 1380. Significant events in the castle's history include the trial of Thomas Becket in 1164, the publication of the Assize of Northampton in 1176, the declaration of peace with Scotland in the Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton , the passage of the Statute of Northampton in 1328 and the imposition of poll tax in 1380. Royal tournaments and feasts were also held at the castle. Simon de Senlis
14750-407: Was held to determine the game participants, who were then allowed to rehearse the game once ahead of the broadcast recording. Each of the teams received a score for each game, and the games were umpired by one or two "international" judges (supported by referees from the participant countries), with the winner of each heat being awarded a silver trophy. The two judges/referees who became synonymous with
14875-550: Was inaugurated as a constituency in 1295; for many centuries it returned two Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons . Spencer Perceval was elected as one of these in 1796 and became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in 1809, the only Solicitor General and only Attorney General to have done so, but also the only Prime Minister to be assassinated. The murder was by a highly disgruntled business owner John Bellingham in
15000-551: Was known simply as the Freeman's Common. In 1882 when Commoners lost their right to graze cattle, the land was sold on by the Northampton Corporation Act. The park was then used by the public as a general recreation ground. Race meetings resumed in 1727, with the help of Lord Spencer, and in 1737 the first official race meet was held on the new course. The races were well-attended and frequently visited by royalty, including
15125-459: Was reduced to one MP. In 1974, the original Northampton seat was replaced by the new constituencies of Northampton North and Northampton South , which both elected one MP each, beginning in the February 1974 general election . For the 2010 general election , the new South Northamptonshire constituency took a southern sector of the borough. The southern sectors transferred to Northampton South for
15250-527: Was revived in 1988, the one-off festive edition also returned. The 1990 Christmas special was held in Macau . Interneige or Jeux sans frontières d'hiver is the winter spin-off edition of the competition held in ski resorts for eleven seasons (1965–1968, 1976–1981, and 1992). It was also variously entitled Jeux Sans Frontieres on Ice or Jeux Sans Frontieres in the Snow . In 2006, the EBU announced plans to relaunch
15375-485: Was situated east of Bridge Street. A network of medieval tunnels remains under the centre of Northampton around All Saints' Church and the Market Square but their purpose, extent and significance have been disputed. The town was originally controlled by officials acting for the King who collected taxes and upheld the law. This changed on 18 November 1189 when King Richard I granted the town its first charter in exchange for money to fund his crusades. The charter allowed
15500-406: Was slower than planned, the population grew from 105,421 in 1961 to 157,217 by 1981, with 15,655 new homes added to the town between 1970 and 1985. The borough boundaries also changed following a split of the Northampton parliamentary constituency into Northampton North and Northampton South in 1974. Northampton was reconstituted as a non-metropolitan district which also covered areas outside
15625-421: Was then known as Gypsy Lane (now Kingsley Road) where downhill towards Kingsthorpe the former "Romany" pub is situated. From 1715 to 1818, the park was frequently used for public executions. The Racecourse has been the scene of hundreds of hangings. Condemned convicts were taken by cart to the gallows on the Racecourse. These marches were said to be intimidating and unruly, with huge crowds in attendance. One of
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