The main sign featured is located on the Bedford Road (A6) entrance to Rushden. It depicts a picture of the church, obelisk and houses at the top with a banner displaying 'Welcome to Rushden'. At the bottom is a collection of sports' equipment including a cricket bat, rugby ball, football, hockey stick and tennis ball. This celebrates Rushden's association with sport including the 'Rushden and Diamonds' football team.
The other sign features at N52 16.479 W000 33.466 on the Chelveston Road. This one shows items from the famous shoe industry based here.
Wikipedia describes the history:
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'Rushden's growth has resulted from a number of industries, including lacemaking and farming, and especially shoemaking and associated trades. In the industry's heyday there were well over 100 boot and shoe factories in Rushden.
Today just a handful of these factories survive. One of the most renowned is Sanders and Sanders, which makes boots for the British Army and several other defence departments throughout the world. Some of the redundant factories have been converted into flats, and MPs support for government help has been limited. Today, as with many towns in England, industry in the town is varied, and mostly situated in an out-of-town industrial estate. As with the industry, town centre shopping in Rushden has changed considerably recently although there are many shops. Rushden has the oldest toy shop in the county.
In 1893 a short branch line railway opened linking Rushden and Higham Ferrers with the Midland Main Line. The line was closed in 1959 and dismantled. In 1991 the trackbed was converted into a pocket park.
The former Rushden railway station is now owned by the Rushden Historical Transport Society, which operates a museum and real ale bar. The society often holds special events, including an annual 3-day transport cavalcade. The society aims to rebuild the branch line from Higham Ferrers to Wellingborough.
There is also a privately owned museum in Rushden which is situated in the town's Hall Park. It is open between the months of May and October.
Rushden Hall is the oldest domestic building in the town, once owned by many families throughout the year including the Sartoris family and the Pembertons family. The hall now functions as the head office of the town council and some rooms are available for hiring. It lies in 32 acres (130,000 m2) of land which now is a public park (Hall Park).
A new road has been built which by passes Rushden and Higham Ferrers; it starts on the A6 Bedford Road and finishes at Chowns Mill Roundabout, Irthlingborough.
The 1970s ITV Police Drama series Hunters Walk was filmed on location in Rushden and the surrounding villages.
The town's football club, Rushden Town merged with nearby Irthlingborough Diamonds in 1992 to become Rushden & Diamonds. The new club plays at Nene Park, on the outskirts of Irthlingborough, and currently competes in the Football Conference. A smaller club, Rushden & Higham United compete in the United Counties League.
Rugby is played at Manor Park, the home of Rushden & Higham RUFC. The club was created in October 1951. Over the years the club has played at Chamberlain's Field, near the old Higham railway station, Saffron Meadows, and the John White's ground in Rushden and now plays at Manor Park, Rushden, on pitches rented weekly from the town council.'
There is a third sign which basingstokeboy found and describes as follows: 'Having visited all three of the Rushden "Welcome" signs, I`ve uploaded two pictures of the "3rd" one. This is located on the A5001 between Croyland Motors and Junction 16 of the A45.'