71 year old man from Kettering plans to walk length of Britain

A 71 year old man from Kettering is planning to walk the length of Britain for two local charities.

Keith Ogley will walk 1,100 miles from Lands End to John O Groats next year, with the hope of raising £20,000.

The start date for the walk is May next year, with Mr Ogley confident in completing it by mid-August.

All money raised will be donated between Cransley Hospice and the Kettering and District Lions Club.

Cransley Hospice is important to Mr Ogley as his wife spent the last few weeks of her life in 'comfort and dignity' in the hands of the residence.

He said on his Just Giving page: "It is important to me that this service continues to be provided to the local community."

"I do not have much in the way of skills, either practical or mental but I am blessed with reasonable health and fitness for my age and feel that I can put them to use in an attempt to benefit those less fortunate than I have been."

"Last year I walked the Coast to Coast Path in support of this charity but still feel that there is more I should do whilst still physically able."

"If people think older people can't walk these distances they should get out and meet some rambling groups."

Mr Ogley is already walking three to four times a week in order to get ready for the incredible distance he will take on next year.

If you wish to contact about sponsorship or general information, the e-mail is keithlejog@btinternet.com

Please check out all of the relevant pages below in order to support Mr Ogley on his adventure. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keithsendtoendwalk/info

Just Giving: https://www.justgiving.com/keith-ogley1/

By Stephen Matthews

Wellingborough Samurai steals meat from Tesco

Yesterday, a man wielding a samurai sword stole meat from a Tesco Express in Cannon Street at around 2:40pm.

The man was described as white, slim build, short brown hair and about 5ft 9in tall wearing a black hoodie with white stripes on the arms, blue jeans and dark brown shoes.

Although he had a samurai sword strapped to his back, he never used it and didn't seem to threaten anybody with it.

Police are currently appealing for any witnesses to this crime or anyone that may have any information regarding it.

Witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

By Joe Shine

The dismal reality of shopping in Kettering

Let’s be honest, Kettering will never be the world’s best shopping destination. 

But that doesn’t mean it should go completely downhill either. Despite various attempts over the years to improve facilities and rebrand the town centre, shopping in Kettering is as disappointing as ever.  

Part of Kettering’s problem is the high turnaround of businesses. Most of the newer shops only seem to last for a few months before shutting down, moving premises, or becoming another new store. These constant changes are off-putting for shoppers. Every time I visit the centre there is at least one shop that has shut since the last time I was there. Consequently, we are left with a lot of empty and vacant buildings, and the streets are plagued by ‘for sale’ and ‘to let’ signs. The majority of Kettering’s shops are also relatively small, meaning there is less room for a wider variety of products.

There is also a lack of particularly noteworthy independent retailers or cafés. For example, Kettering has no independent bookshop, and hardly any good-quality independent clothes shops. Even popular shops such as the music store: Intersales don’t seem to last long anymore, posing worrying questions about the future of the independent retailer. Instead, Kettering has been taken over by the chains. High street staples such as Waterstones, W.H. Smith, Costa, Argos, and M&S dominate the town centre. All of this has eroded Kettering’s individuality and is gradually making our town into a clone of countless others across the country.

The moving of the market to the high street has also contributed to the decline of Kettering’s shopping facilities. This is because it has now further alienated the marketplace from the main shopping streets, resulting in even fewer shoppers visiting the marketplace area. In addition the recent rebranding effort, which included the construction of the clock tower in the centre, also seems to have been a waste of money. Instead of spending money on decorative clock towers that only work sporadically, the council should instead be investing more in local businesses and infrastructure.

Similarly, the available transport links are also a contributing factor, and parking is especially problematic. There aren’t enough car parks and it is an absolute nightmare to find a space. Not to mention the ludicrous prices they charge. Although the ‘pop and shop’ spaces are a good idea and they work well, there aren’t nearly enough of them to satisfy the high demand.

However, it’s not all bad. At least Kettering provides a wide selection of charity shops, bargain and discount stores, phone shops, and fast food outlets. Unfortunately though, these aren’t really the types of businesses that will attract people back to the centre; and with a high street like this, is it any wonder that more and more shoppers are abandoning Kettering in favour of the web and other shopping centres like Milton Keynes?

It’s time Kettering faced up to the reality of the situation – before it’s too late.

By Lorna Holland