The Northampton Specimen Group is the oldest continuously active Specimen Group in the country. It was formed in December 1963 by a group of like-minded anglers meeting in the Golden Horse public house in the village of Far Cotton, Northamptonshire after an advert was placed in "The Green 'Un" local sporting paper by Bob Church. Soon for anglers joined the Group and the regular meetings were moved to the larger White Hart further up the road. Keith Robinson was elected as the newly formed Group's first secretary and a Group constitution was agreed which can be read here.....Original Group Constitution
Bob Church and Ron Kyte are the only two surviving members of that original group, but other early members included:-
Fred Wagstaffe, Ray Clay, Sid Isom, Keith Sanders, Cyril Inwood (died in 1971),
Paul Halling, Peter Patrick (later chairman of National Association of Specimen
Groups), John Snelson, Eric Watson, Bob Reynolds, Frank Wright, Dick Shrive,
Jim Haycock,
Peter Chillingsworth (joined in 1971), Laurie Smith, Alan and Geoff Smith, Harold
Bennett, John Mcllellan and Andy Chamberlain.
Some pictures of early members can be seen HERE.