Venue: Roadmender
Address: 1 LADYS LANE
Town: Northampton, GB

Roadmender (also known as Northampton Roadmender or the Roadmender Centre) is a live music venue in Lady's Lane, Northampton, England. Housed in a former school building, the venue has become an iconic part of the town's cultural landscape. As the only major live venue in Northampton, Roadmender has played a significant role in shaping the experiences of generations of local music enthusiasts. It remains the most recognised indie club remaining in regular operation, particularly following the closures of Bass Clef in 1999 and the Irish Centre in 1997. The Roadmender started life as a youth club built in an entirely different location to the one on which it operates today. Named after the 1902 book by Michael Fairless, the club was established to cater for the "no-collar" boys and girls of the Boroughs area of Northampton. Jill Harrold wrote: By 1937 the club nearly had 400 members and the club moved its headquarters to Gloucester House in Far Cotton. The departure of founding father Mr Harrison in 1939 didn’t curb the rapid growth of the organisation. The value of Roadmender to the local community was obvious, so money was found for brand new premises despite the imminent war. The Dalgleish-designed building in Ladys Lane which houses Roadmender to this date, opened in October 1940. Back then; the Duke of Gloucester was National President of the Roadmender movement, while Earl Spencer filled the position as President of the Northampton Roadmender Club. However, there is nothing particularly posh about Roadmender, and everyone has been welcomed throughout the years. In the 1980s, The Roadmender hosted a community arts program that offered activities such as printing, textiles, music and theatre. These activities were primarily aimemd at supporting the disadvantaged young people for whom The Roadmender was originally established. From the early 1980s to the late 1990s, The Roadmender was the leading music and arts centre in Northamptonshire. As the largest venue for t