Remembering Wellingborough's Newcomen Road club

A sign that stood at the entrance of one of Wellingborough's social clubs has been saved from the rubbish tip and been donated to the town's museum.

The Newcomen Road Sports and Social Club was run by Pam and John Toms, helped by their children Penny and Richard, for five years when they took over the then Co-op Club.

To mark them renaming the bar, the family commissioned a local blacksmith to create a bespoke sign out of wrought iron to go above the entrance.

Daughter Penny said: "Chris, the owner of West End DIY, was at the recycling centre and spotted the sign in the back of someone's car. He offered them a couple of bags of coal that he happened to have in his car boot as a swap. He put a post on Facebook asking it anyone knew anything about it which I saw. It brought back memories."

The sign, painted gold, had been left at the Newcomen Road premises after the family left in 2001.

Pam, 68, said: "It was a real family club. We were there for five years as a social club. We had pool, snooker, bar billiards and darts teams. We used to have entertainers every week. Our children helped behind the bar."

Sadly, the day after the photo of the sign was shared on Facebook, John Toms, 70, died in Cransley Hospice.

Penny, 45, said: "Dad would have loved to see it again but he was too poorly. I know it was just a coincidence but dad died on September 18 and the sign was found the day before."

The sign was presented to Robert Wharton from Wellingborough Museum .

He said: "This is a unique piece of Wellingborough's history that people will remember. They will also remember the Co-op Club and its last incarnation as the Newcomen Road Sports and Social Club.

"We like to have artefacts that are truly connected to Wellingborough."

The Newcomen Road Sports and Social Club sign will go on show at the museum when it reopens next year.