A number of bespoke quilts created by a group of ladies has been donated to Danetre Hospital.

The donation came about after Julie Yates’ mum Sue Field was admitted to the pallative care unit of the hospital.

She was at the unit for four weeks and Julie wanted to cheer her up so stitched her a quilt for the bed.

The nurses at the unit were so impressed and felt the quilts brightened up the room,so when Julie lost her mother the hospital asked if she could make some more quilts for the unit.

Julie said: “I was happy to agree to organise something as a thank you to the staff and hospital who had provided such good care at the end of mum’s life. The unit has six beds plus an overnight visitors’ room and sometimes receives donations from grateful relatives and supporters, so they asked if it would be possible to pay for quilts to be made for all the beds, with spares.”

With 14 quilts to make, Julie knew she would need some help and was grateful for the support she received from several companies including the Weedon-based firm The Bramble Patch, and the ‘Bramble Babes’ who volunteer there.

Julie added: “Moda Fabrics donated some of the fabric, including several jelly rolls, with the restcoming from The Bramble Patch and the Babes’ own stashes.”

As well as Julie, Bramble Babes Alicia Armstrong, Jane Rimell, Kathy Lee, Rachel Woolliscroft and Sara Beswick all made quilt tops, as did former Bramble Babe Jan Wise and tutors Linda Chevin-Hall and Barbara Chainey.”

Arthur Pritchett said: “On behalf of the Friends of Danetre Hospital, we can only say how impressed we all are with the quality and care that has gone into the quilts! The patients will love them.”

More than a hundred people turned out at Daventry’s golf club for a champagne reception to mark the formal opening of its new pro shop and ‘swing studio’ on Tuesday.

Keen golfers competed for £500 of prize on the famous par three at Pebble Beach, California which was recreated in the golf simulator recently installed at the club. Golf professional and store manager Richard Mudge hopes the move to the club from his old premises on Station Close should be good for business, while his golf simulator should have a valuable role in helping golfers get into the swing of things.

He said: “It is very exciting to have this up and running, and though this is a private club the facility is open to all visitors from other clubs and people from the town.

“One of the noticeable things that stood out was how friendly and welcoming the golf club is, which is so important in this day and age when golf clubs are trying to attract new members.

“The club is located on the edge of the town and also has another hidden gem – a driving range open to all offering the best value in the UK.”

Members of the golf club came together to build a brand-new extension to accommodate Richard’s simulator, which he says he may well donate to the club on his retirement.

He said: “The whole thing, building and simulator, would have cost in excess of £50,000 brand new.” Club president Ray Lewis said: “We are only a small nine-hole club and a lot of people don’t know we are here. I think this will be good for the club.

“We have struggled a bit without a professional, now we have Richard it will be a big benefit to all of us.”

The gathering was joined by award-winning professional golfer Paul Broadhurst, who was presented with a lifetime membership to Daventry and District Golf Club, which marked its centenary in 2007.

Youngsters at the nursery based on the site of the Grange School in Daventry had extra special visitors.

The youngsters were visited by staff at Waitrose in Daventry who bought with them a wide variety of assorted fruits for the children to try. They also learnt a lot about some of the new fruits.

Here are the staff who worked at Daventry’s Post Office in the early 1950s.

This photo was taken in the old post office yard, located off the top of Sheaf Street.

The buildings on the left of this photo have since been demolished and replaced by the rear of Foundry Walk.

The buildings to the right still stand and are now houses.

The buildings and archway to the rear of the photo are the back of those properties that faced onto Sheaf Street – they too have long since disappeared from the street scene.

Past headlines

March 29, 1990

Daventry’s planning committee turned down major plans for land near junction 18 of the M1 at Crick. The plans included a distribution park, business park, fast food outlet, motel and hotel, with the potential to bring 4,000 new jobs to the area. Several councillors voiced concerns over the impact of increased traffic in the area, particularly without any road improvements. Others said the jobs would bring little local benefit, as many would live outside the district. They did support part of the plan – building a regional agricultural centre at the site – but said other development should be kept to a minimum.

March 28, 1975

The Government stepped in to cap the increase on Daventry District Council’s share of the council tax. The authority had planned to hike rates by 13.6 per cent, but Westminster had said rises should be within its guideline of five per cent. A local government minister told the House of Commons that Daventry had ‘no excuse’ for its planned rise. The council had already had the higher rate bills printed and sent out, and the cap would mean the council facing not only a loss from the lower increase, but also from having to pay out again for the printing and posting of the new bills.

March 24, 2005

Daventry’s MP Arthur Jones warned local taxpayers they could be faced with a huge bill to complete the town’s new road system. A series of new main roads had been built and more were planned for Daventry, along with improvements to existing roads. Until this time the government had stumped up grants for specific road schemes, but now it was planning on switching to a lump sum given to the county council. The plans for Daventry included £2 million on main roads, and a further £2.5 million on roads to kick-start the development of the northern side of the town.

Veterans and their families living in the Daventry district will be able to have greater access to support services offered by the Royal British Legion thanks to a new partnership.

The legion has joined forces with Daventry District Council to offer drop-in sessions in the reception area of the council’s offices in Lodge Road, Daventry.

The first of these sessions was held yesterday (Wednesday) and will now be held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The sessions will run from 11am to 1pm, with the next to be held on Wednesday, April 22.

The new service is part of nationwide changes by The Royal British Legion to make its welfare services more accessible to armed forces personnel past and present, and their families, across the UK.

There have been a number of new outreach locations in Northamptonshire and Daventry is one of them.

The Royal British Legion will offer a knowledgeable and dedicated support worker as a face-to-face point of contact for those in need of help and advice from the Legion.

As the nation’s leading armed forces charity, the Legion spends £84 million a year on vital welfare work, providing social, emotional and financial care and support to serving and ex-service people and their families.

The Royal British Legion has welcomed the new partnership and believes it could offer a wide range of benefits to the Daventry district.

Mark Collins, Northamptonshire area manager for the Royal British Legion, said: “Whether you are a beneficiary, a member or a supporter, our aim is to make our advice and support services easier to access and more relevant to everyone.

“These local access points, together with the website and national helpline number, make it easier than ever before to contact the Legion to ask for help.”

The Legion does a wide range of things including helping personnel who were injured during a conflict and helping army staff settle back into a normal life. Families of servicemen are also looked after by the charity and can provide valuable help and support.

Cllr Wayne Howard, access and communication portfolio holder for Daventry District Council, said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with the Royal British Legion on this scheme to give people greater access to the vital services it offers to the armed forces community.”

For further information about the Royal British Legion, visit one of the drop-in sessions, log on to www.britishlegion.org.uk, or phone the helpline on 0808 802 8080.

The fifth Daventry Motorcycle Festival is to take place later this year and volunteers are being urged to help out at the popular event.

The organisers of the town centre event are keen to hear from individuals, businesses, groups, organisations and bands that would like to volunteer, have a stall, display a bike or provide musical entertainment.

The free, family friendly bike festival will take place in the Market Square and on High Street between 10.30am and 4pm on Saturday, June 13.

It will see an array of old and new bikes on display, along with some great music and children’s entertainment.

One of the festival highlights is the Ride-In, when hundreds of bikes make their way from Bikers World, on Brown’s Road, into the town centre and park up on the High Street.

If you have a bike and want to be part of the ride then visit www.daventrybikefest.co.uk to register and for more information.

Chris Stanley, chairman of the Daventry Motorcycle Festival, said: “The event continues to grow in size and popularity and is now one of the biggest events in the Daventry calendar.

“Over the past few years it has brought in thousands of visitors, helping to boost the local economy, support local businesses and provide a great day out for residents and visitors alike. What very few people realise is the festival is organised on a voluntary basis by a variety of local motorcycling groups, businesses and individuals.

“For the event to continue to grow we need more people and businesses to get involved.

“This could be through volunteering, in kind contributions or direct financial support. This year we are particularly keen to hear from local bands who would like to perform on the main festival stage. If you are able to support or get involved with the event in any way we would love to hear from you.”

For further information visit www.daventrybikefest.co.uk, email info@daventrybikefest.co.uk or call 01788 890 789.

More than three quarters of schools in the Daventry district are either good or outstanding according to new figures released by the Government.

Ofsted has revealed that three primary schools in the Daventry district – those at Welton, East Haddon and Naseby – are outstanding, the highest grade available.

There are a further 32 schools in the area which have been judged as good, the level below outstanding. The figures have been welcomed by politicians in the area.

Daventry MP Chris Heaton-Harris, from the Conservatives, said: “This proves that education performance is gradually improving across the district. There is still a long way to go but the figures are going along in the right direction. I think what helps is that a lot of the outstanding schools in the area are sharing good practice with other schools and this can only improve standards across the area.”

Abigail Campbell, the Labour parliamentary candidate for Daventry said: “I welcome these results. They reflect the very great efforts of teachers – many working a 70 hour week to keep up with an ever-increasing workload, even before Ofsted arrives at the school gates.

“School inspections are important. But they don’t necessarily capture the distinctiveness of a school, what makes it unique, or just right for a particular child.

“Under Labour, Ofsted inspections would become more collaborative, involve neighbouring schools, and focus on a broader and more balanced curriculum. We’d also restore local oversight by appointing, with local authorities, directors of school standards, whom any parent body could call on​​.”

Figures show 11 per cent of schools in the area are judged as requiring improvement. Another three schools, equating to seven per cent, have been judged as inadequate by Ofsted. However, The Parker E-ACT Academy has been improving standards to get out of special measures. Both Falconer’s Hill Academy and the Abbey Academy in Daventry were judged inadequate before being converted into academies and are also working to get out of special measures.

Across the county there were 15 per cent of schools judged outstanding, 61 per cent judged as good, 21 per cent requiring improvement and three per cent as inadequate.

Daventry district residents can now check their council tax, business rates and housing benefit around-the-clock with online customer accounts.

Anyone can register by visiting www.daventrydc.gov.uk. It is just one of a number of improvements made to the site.

Cllr Wayne Howard, access and communication portfolio holder at DDC, said: “From requesting a litter pick to reporting dog fouling, setting up a direct debit to applying for a parking permit, the range of services available on our website is growing all the time and are proving to be increasingly popular with residents.

“The new customer accounts are a great way for people to keep on top of things such as council tax or business rates payments.”

A child was airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital last night following a two-vehicle collision on the A425 in Staverton between Daventry Road and Stefen Way.

Emergency services including Northamptonshire and Warwickshire Air Ambulance were called to the scene at 3.55pm. The road was closed while fire officers worked to free several passengers trapped in the vehicles and one person was taken to University Hospital Coventry.

No one is thought to have been seriously injured in the incident and the road was reopened by 8pm.

A Daventry town councillor who failed to attend any council meetings in six months has been removed from his position.

Notice of Keith Simpson’s disqualification was released on Wednesday last week and residents of Hill Ward now have until April 8 to decide if they wish to hold an election. If no candidate steps forward a volunteer will be co-opted to take on the role.

Ron Fox, chairman of Daventry Town Council, said he thought Mr Simpson’s absence from council and committee meetings was “unacceptable”.

He said: “It is in a way a waste of money as we will have to hold an election again. We used taxpayer’s money to elect him and now we have to do it again. I think this is the first time this has happened since I have been on the council; I am not happy about it.”

Mr Simpson, of Jennings Close, told the Daventry Express his absence from council was due to difficulties following on from the collapse of his courier business in late July last year.

He said: “It was my first term as a councillor and I have gone through a difficult period in my career. I would like to offer my heartfelt regret for people who did vote for me. I am in the process of writing a letter to the council expressing my regret.”

Mr Simpson said he would like to stand for the council again in the future, adding: “I would still like to be able to put something back into the community.” Since 2008 two previous members of the council have been disqualified for non-attendance. In May 2014, the cost of electing new town councillors stood at roughly £8,000.

Plans have been put forward to enable housing developers to build above and below the ground - April Fool!!

It has been announced that areas that can not demonstrate a five year housing land supply will be able to build underground, effectively doubling the land available.

It also means that controversial planning applications may not go ahead as homes can now be built directly underneath existing properties.

Hans Moleman from Underground Homes Limited has already approached local officials with plans to build the state of the art new homes which will excavate large parts of the Earth.

Mr Moleman told the Daventry Express: “This seems like a very simple way of solving the housing crisis in places like Daventry.

“We have already started working on pilot projects across the UK.

“We would welcome suggestions for sites in the Daventry area.”

Anyone who has any suggestions on where the new homes could be built can call 01327 708288.

A series of signs have gone up today, Wednesday April 1, to stop people accessing Northampton College’s playing fields off Badby Road West in Daventry.

The signs have been coupled in places with new fencing, blocking off gaps in the perimeter of the site.

The signs, pictured above, state correctly that the land is private, and states dog walking is not permitted on the playing fields, despite the local community using them in such a way for decades.

The college site is currently subject to a planning application for 130 homes on part of the land.

Northampton College says it needs to sell off part of the site for housing to get the rest of the funding for its plan to build a new college facility on part of the site close to its current car park entrance.

The planning application shows some of the existing playing fields would remain – including those immediately behind the fence pictured above.

The signs have already been joined by ones saying: “This fence and notice was erected on April 1, 2015.

“It contravenes your right to access and use this playing field for exercise, recreation and dog walking, as established by custom and practice over the last 37 years.”

It goes on to encourage anyone objecting to the new notices and the planning application for the site to join the College Grounds Action Group.

Earlier this week several trenches were dug into the football pitches used by Drayton Grange Football Club. Northampton College has not confirmed if it is responsible for this.

More than 2000 protesters armed with brightly coloured placards descended on Westminster last month in an attempt to get the shortage of affordable housing higher up the election agenda.

The ‘Homes for Britain’ campaign seeks to highlight the fact that local housing markets across the United Kingdom have reached a crisis point.

Demand is outstripping supply and salaries have failed to keep up with the house price boom, making it ever more difficult for first time buyers to get a foot on the housing ladder.

But the true victim of this struggle is the younger generation, with many young people forced to pay more in rent each week than an average mortgage, according to the Government’s English Housing Survey.

Data released by the National Housing Federation as part of its ‘Home Truths’ report paints a worrying view about the situation within Daventry district.

The mean house price in 2013 stood at £232,063, second only in the county to South Northamptonshire at £260,777, while the mean private sector rental rate stood at £662 per month, compared to the county’s average of £590.

More astounding is the fact that 23.9 per cent of all Housing Benefit claimants in the district were in employment as of May last year.

Helen Howson, manager at Daventry Citizen’s Advice Bureau, said the organisation regularly helps people with a variety of housing issues, and despite Daventry’s relative prosperity and high employment many of the poorest members of society are facing serious problems getting access to affordable housing.

“For people aged 16 to 24, and people not having savings, it very is difficult. We also see some landlords are wary of tenants in receipt of housing benefits”.

Any hopes of new measures to help people get into affordable housing in George Osborne’s 2015 budget were dashed, with only the Help to Buy ISA offering homeowners a leg up in scraping together a deposit up to £3,000 and doing nothing to address the under supply of homes.

The ‘Homes for Britain’ campaign calls for meatier policy changes to tackle the problem. It is supported by Daventry and District Housing (DDH) and its parent company, Futures Housing Group (FGH), a provider of 9,000 homes in Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.

Hayley Davies, executive director of DDH, said: “Futures Housing Group wants to lend its support to lend a voice to the national campaign to end the housing crisis within a generation.”

“Housing is such a key, fundamental rock in ensuring a safe and healthy society, and in the next 20 years 380,000 homes need to be built to meet demand. Unaffordable house prices and deposits that are unachievable have meant that in the past five years there has been a 15 per cent increase in people aged between 24 and 44-years-old either staying at home with parents or being forced into the private rental market.

“By continuing to work in partnership with local authorities like Daventry District Council we hope to provide an affordable alternative and also work towards creating more homes for people in the area.”

As part of its campaign, FHG has launched a manifesto in which it calls for an end to ‘Right to Buy’ to protect in demand social rental stock, increasing the amount of grant funding available for social housing and more to be done to end stigma attached to social housing tenants.

The under-delivery of homes is a key issue in Daventry district. According to housing charity Shelter, 250,000 new homes must be built in the UK each year to meet demand. Over the next 20 years 385,000 new households are expected to be needed in the East Midlands.

At current building rates that would leave a shortfall of 220,000 homes by 2031.

Developers will play a role in meeting housing demand, but ultimately it is up to central Government to encourage more building at affordable rates, and local authorities like Daventry District Council (DDC) to ensure they are meeting the requirement for a five-year housing supply set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

They are required to, on a rolling basis, judge the number of houses needed in the area in the coming years, and identify potential sites for them to be built on. They must then judge how many of the homes are ‘deliverable’ within the next five years and ensure they can demonstrate to a planning inspector they have enough sites lined up.

Last week the Gusher reported how DDC has increased the requirement of its housing bank by 20 percent to six years after under-delivering on homes.

This puts the council in a weaker position when it chooses to oppose development in areas it might not think are the most suitable.

In recent months several developments rejected by the council have been overturned on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate for this reason.

But for Kate Warburton, external affairs manager for the National Housing Federation, even a demonstrable six-year housing supply would not resolve the problem in the district. She said: “This is not a recent phenomenon. Even if you started to build now you would have a massive backlog and the policies have not been there to encourage building.”

“Building can’t be all down to developers .”

The Daventry district could be at less risk from speculative development following the publication of a new report.

Daventry District Council has published its Housing Land Availability report published earlier this week. Its conclusion is that there are 5.94 years of land in the Daventry area.

The area has been left open to housing developers as the council has been unable to demonstrate a five year housing land supply. However this should given further protection to the area. It also means that there is less of a buffer as well.

The report said: “This demonstrates that Daventry is not a district where there has been persistent underdelivery and therefore the 20 per cent buffer does not apply. Therefore the 5 per cent buffer has been added to the housing requirement.”

For more details see next week’s Daventry Express.

Editor’s note – Comments have now been disabled on this story following potentially libellous posts being made.

One of Daventry’s best known stores is to close its doors in the coming weeks in what the owners say is a ‘controlled wind down’ of the business.

Women’s fashion outlet Harpers BoutiQue has been run by husband and wife team Jane and Peter Harper on Sheaf Street since its rebrand in 2012. It has made a name for itself in stocking a range designer labels and exclusive brands.

The menswear part of the business is to remain open.

The pair have announced they want to close the BoutiQue business in order to enjoy a little more free time. They will maintain their current freehold on 20-22 Sheaf Street.

“The menswear unit remains and will continue to trade,” said Mr Harper. “But we are going to be more like landlords than retailers.

“It is a challenging time, and I think there is still a market for ladies wear in Daventry, but I am closer to 80 than 70 now.

“I was going to close it earlier but we took several thousand in profit and we are having to acquire more stock.”

The Grade II listed building will now be rented to another Daventry business which Mr Harper says has been operating in the town for the past 15 years.

A number of businesses attempted to snap up the site, including some local firms and a charity.

Mr Harper says he also isn’t ruling out continuing to stock women’s clothing in 
his remaining store in the future.

He said: “The person who is going to move in is absolutely delighted; it would be a perfect retail offer.

“We have enjoyed having a business in Daventry and we have very loyal customers.

“I am delighted that people have been coming in saying it’s a shame, but people just don’t understand the age I am!

“Retailing is a nice industry, we want to keep active in it but take it more gently.

Mr Harper added: “I have worked for 60 years in retail, I have done my time.”

Motorists travelling through Watford can expect significant disruption over the coming months after major roadworks began on Monday.

Western Power Distribution are removing overhead cables on Station Road and other areas of the village and placing them underground to create head-room for hundreds of lorries travelling to the construction site of the Watford Lodge wind farm. A traffic light system is currently in place.

Watford parish councillor Yolanda Wilcock said many are concerned that the roadworks and the disruption they would cause: “We were very disappointed when the application was approved and we are very unhappy about the fact the road works were not highlighted in the original planning application. Nobody said we would have to put up for three months.”

Work will also be undertaken to widen the road surface at the Henley turn to allow heavy goods vehicles to bring windfarm components including nacelles and rotors off the A5 and onto the B5385 through the village and onto West Haddon Road.

A report published by the developers on DDC’s website estimates there will be 1314 individual deliveries to the site. The Watford Lodge Wind Farm was granted planning permission in 2011 after the German firm Volkswind won an appeal against DDC’s original refusal. A second application for five wind turbines near the Watford Gap service station was also refused.

It’s a odd scrap of embankment, grass and woodland that when viewed from above looks like an upended boot. But when ‘for sale’ signs went up at the old railway yard in Woodford Halse last week residents were quick to demonstrate their affection for this green space and the wealth of history behind it.

The old rail yard is the final remnant of Woodford’s days as a part of the Great Central Railway line and host to one of Europe’s biggest rail terminals; an early 19th century equivalent of DIRFT transporting freight to London and the west of England.

Now the 21 acre brownfield site located off Byfield Road is all that remains of this proud heritage and it was put up for auction on April 28 at a guide price of £175,000 to £200,000. The website of auctioneers Howkins and Harrison describes the land as having “development potential”.

But residents are keen to protect their village’s railway heritage and such was the strength feeling around 70 people turned out on Sunday to speak to the Daventry Express.

By Tuesday it became clear the views of villagers were not falling on deaf ears when the site was withdrawn from the auction pending a public meeting due to take place on Thursday, April 9 at 7pm.

Jennifer Hickman-Wright attended the rally with her children Martha, two, Stirling, three, and Xanthe , five.

She said: “We moved here over 12 months ago. We are first time buyers and Woodford offered us everything we were looking for.

“Our garden backs on to the woods and they are such a huge thing , everybody loves them and they are such an essential part of the village.

“I want my children to grow up and be able to use the woods with their children.”

Paul Denison is chairman of the Woodford Halse Heritage Railway Society. He is still hopeful a deal can be reached with the land owners to not sell the site until the community has the necessary funds to purchase the land.

He said: “We have come here today to make sure this historic embankment is preserved, what we are we are particularly worried about any housing development as the land would be flattened at and then all this area would be lost. What this mean is that this beautiful area the community has enjoyed without interruption for more than 40 years would be lost all of a sudden. It also means the historic links with the Great Central Railway would be wiped out and we have seen too many areas where that has already happened. People wouldn’t dream of doing that with castles so why do that with the railway industry? We have seen too many areas where our industrial heritage has been lost, Why lose another?”

Woodford Halse was once the centre of a thriving rail operation which at its height employed hundreds of people in its freight yard and organised the transportation of goods across the country.

In 1960s the railway was axed as part of the Beeching reforms. Now little remains save for the fragments preserved by Woodford Halse Model Railway Club and village archivists. The sale of the land doesn’t only worry the village’s rail enthusiasts, who want to start a museum on the site. Other residents are equally concerned about the effect on wildlife.

Campaigner Gaz Southall said: “The issue we have today is not with the sale of the property it is more that it is listed as with potential development.

“We are worried as this is such a haven to nature, everything through to buzzards and muntjac deer including crayfish in the nearby river Cherwell which runs adjacent to the woods. This is a place where children of all generations have had some connection to this land, whether it was children 60 years ago who used to cross the tracks to get to school and church or today where children are playing in the woods. This is almost like the village green, just with a lot of trees.”

Daventry District Council (DDC) is set to pump more than £14 million into the long-awaited Flore/Weedon bypass according to a report.

The report has been written by the council’s business manager Simon Bowers and will be presented to DDC’s strategy group at a meeting on Thursday April 9.

It outlines an agreement between DDC and the county council to provide funding for the bypass.

There will be £2 million of revenue funding to be given to Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) to help with a loan to build the road. A further £12 million will come from community infrastructure levy. Money from the new homes bonus for the proposed Church Fields application will also be given to the bypass – the total value of this is not mentioned.

Further details about the road, officially known as the Daventry Development Link Road (DDL), were also in the report.

It is expected the planning application will be determined by NCC next month.

NCC has also appointed a contractor to develop a detailed design of the scheme and the same contractor is expected to construct the road. It is now believed work will start on the new road in October 2015 and will take around 18 months to complete, opening around June 2017.

NCC estimates it could cost more than £35 million to build the DDL. The rest of the funds will come from the Government and money given by housing developers.

The report states: “The DDL is central to the development of Daventry over the next 30 or so years. The delivery of the DDL is also a critical factor in implementing the core strategy and maintaining a five year supply of housing land. This in turn is essential for the council to regain a greater degree of control over the location and form of development in the district.

“It is therefore justified for DDC to consider making a financial contribution to the road.

“The DDL is also very costly, when compared to the Council’s normal budgets,and as such great care is needed when structuring an approach to support its delivery. The terms of the proposed agreement are designed to allow DDC to manage the financial risks making such resources available for the project.”

Friday saw Daventry’s traditional Walk of Witness by members of various churches in town.

Organised by Churches Together In Daventry, the walk set out from St Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church at 10am and wound its way through the town centre, past the United Reformed Church and Anglican Holy Cross before heading to the Methodist Church in Golding Close.

The walk sees members of the various churches join together on Good Friday, as they march through the town they regularly stop for prayers, readings and hymns.

The walk references Christ’s last walk towards the site of his crucifixion.

Napton Art Group will be holding a popular exhibition at the weekend.

The Easter exhibition of members work is to be held at Napton Village Hall on both Saturday and Sunday.

It is open from 10am to 5pm with more than 150 paintings in a number of different mediums including oils, watercolour, acrylics and pastels.

Greetings cards of some of these will be available.

Admission is £1 with free entry for children and there will be light meals at lunchtime and afternoon tea and cakes in the pop-up cafe.

The group meets every Thursday afternoon from 2pm-4pm with demonstrations and workshops.