Allen Ford Kettering

Today I had the misfortune to visit Allen Ford in Kettering. I’m interested in buying a new Ford S-Max, and thought I’d see what a local dealer could offer.

All was well until I asked if they could price-match an online quote from www.drivethedeal.com, a favourite site of mine. The salesman insisted repeatedly that Drive The Deal only sell imports, something I know to be untrue. He asked the price I’d been quoted (almost £5000 below list price) and said he had to talk to his manager. He returned several minutes later, “confirming” what he’d stated earlier that drivethedeal.com would supply me with a non-UK spec import!

By now I’d heard enough drivel, and decided to leave the dealership. Well Mr salesman, I suggest if you’re reading this that you take a look at their FAQs Page.

Oh, and it’s the first time I’ve ever had to pay for cold water at any car dealership, never mind a franchised dealer. 10/10 for customer satisfaction, not!

£5m sports hub - Envy of region

Plans to create a £5million sports hub at Rockingham Triangle to improve sport provision in Corby can be revealed for the first time today.
They include ambitious plans to open a beacon tennis facility – one of only 25 in the UK – with six new outdoor floodlit tennis courts at Corby Tennis Centre.

Just six months ago the centre was rescued from the threat of closure.

A new £1.5million sports hall with four badminton courts and the town’s only indoor cricket nets will also be built and the facilities could also be used for volleyball and basketball, sports hugely popular with the town’s growing eastern European community.

Eight new changing rooms and officials’ rooms will be constructed to encourage more children and women to play football on pitches there, and a £500,000 3G floodlit football pitch will also be provided alongside the new 1,000-seater Corby Town stadium.

A multi-purpose room will be used for dance, martial arts, health and fitness training and education, while doubling-up as a social club on match days.

And an Olympic-training standard weights room will be built to help local athletes hone their training methods.

Funding for the scheme will come from a range of grants from the council and various sporting bodies.

See full story

Work starts on £10m rail station

Work on a £10.2m railway station for Corby in Northamptonshire has started this week.

Corby is currently the largest town in Britain without a station and the new facility will offer services to destinations including London.

Network Rail said it had appointed Dean and Dyball to build the new station.

Dyan Crowther, Network Rail route director, said: “This new rail link will give Corby the chance to take the greener option of the rail.”

See full BBC story.