Peterborough Telegraph articles 2023

The following articles were previously submitted to Peterborough Telegraph, please click on the relevant image to read them.
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Creating a sense of belonging	The case of the missing Blue Plaque	Peterborough's Heritage	Donne Buck - unsung hero of children	What gets you going, lights your fuse?	The Embankment in the year 2073??

Peterborough as a holiday destination	Help look after the area where you live	Peterborough city of change	Community spirit vital now and in the future	Time to reclaim our city centre

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Creating a sense of belonging

This article was first published in the 19 January 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

We all need to feel that we belong in a place, a community, and Peterborough is no different. Our city is a place to which may people have come, particularly over the past hundred years. However newcomers to our city, as well as visitors, are not always aware of the history and significance of some of our places and open spaces. Civic pride is something that depends on us all contributing, feeling valued and feeling a part of something a little larger than our own immediate personal surroundings.

Peterborians are lucky to possess a wide variety of open spaces, whether that be purpose-built Ferry Meadows, or more urban settings such as Central Park, Itter Park, Manor Farm Park, Bretton Park, Connect Park, Stanley Park or indeed the Embankment. There are also a number of wildlife area – nine are listed on the City Council’s website – and we mustn’t forget the Green Wheel that encircles Peterborough and is a fine example of trying to connect places for cyclists and walkers. Many of these are vital for city dwellers to use and were a vital resource particularly during the recent lockdown.

In addition, there is a wealth of fascinating and varied landscapes close to the city, from the open wide-skied Fen fields to the east to the historic, pretty Northamptonshire villages to the west. And of course we mustn’t forget our oft-undervalued river Nene that quietly weaves its way from Arbury Hill to the Wash.

But what do local people actually know about many of these places, when were they created, what have they been used for, who were they named after? Recently Hazel Perry, one of our committee members, came up with the idea of producing and manufacturing interpretation boards (or something similar) to place in specific locations to inform people and to highlight the spaces’ significance. In particular she mentioned Stanley Park which has recently received attention and is looking far better than it has done in recent years. However, there is still much work to be done. We still believe that this area, along with many others in the city, could be planted more sensitively, taking into account both biodiversity and the need for individual’s mental health to be cared for and even boosted.

Consequently the Civic Society has begun to think of how best to enhance areas such as Stanley Park. As well as interpretation boards, could there be murals, ceramic features and information posts that link to information on the Internet – we must be aware of both new and as-yet-not-invented technology! Of course we must present any suggestions to Peterborough City Council and we are currently considering the best ways to do this.

We know that many interpretation boards and other such features already exist, not only in Stanley Park but in other locations. For example there’s a board on Bourges Boulevard near the pedestrian Paten bridge that links the station area to Queensgate; there’s information in lower Bridge Street that informs us about Henry Penn, the bell founder. I can think of interpretation boards at nearly all of the locations mentioned above and there must be dozens of examples all over the city.

Readers may well have their own suggestions about places and areas of the city that would benefit from enhancement in this way. Please get in touch and let us know your views, either by writing to the PT letters page or by contacting me directly at tobywood2008@gmail.com

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The case of the missing Blue Plaque

This article was first published in the 16 February 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

There’s been a crime, something nearly as upsetting and distressing as a Posh 5-0 home defeat on a Saturday afternoon. Something mysterious. Something peculiar. Something dastardly. Let me start at the beginning.

Over the past five years Peterborough Civic Society has installed thirty-six blue plaques in and around the city centre. There is a free 24-page brochure to accompany them (available at the Visitor Information Centre in the Museum) and there’s also loads of additional information on our website. The plaques have gone down very well and, in my humble opinion, have enhanced the city centre, providing points of interest for residents and visitors alike.

But wait! One plaque is missing. It has vanished, disappeared, evaporated into thin air. It’s the plaque that commemorates the site of the original Deacon’s School and was placed in Cowgate, one of Peterborough’s oldest streets and home to many fine businesses many of which are independent. The plaque has gone, disappeared, vanished into thin air. We are no longer any the wiser as to the plaque’s whereabouts. Its disappearance is a mystery.

Now, in Civic Society circles, this is serious and the mystery is causing much grief and many sleepless nights. One of our most senior undercover agents, a man who, for the purpose of this article I shall call ‘Clouseau’, has repeatedly trod the pavements of Cowgate but to no avail. No luck whatsoever. Despite our best efforts it is now time for us to seek assistance. But from whom???

It could be a case for Dixon of Dock Green although his ‘Evening All’ style may be rather old-fashioned and pedestrian. I could do for the Z-Cars approach or perhaps get more gritty – Morse or Sweeney – ‘leave it to me guv’! Crash, bang, wallop! We could go all ‘Sherlock Holmes sophisticated’ – The Sign of the Plaque or The Adventure of the Missing Thomas Deacon.

I don’t think it would be necessary to go transatlantic - The Wire, NYPD Blue, Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Perry Mason or Ironside. No, a little ‘closer-to-home’ local knowledge is called for to solve the mystery.

We’re rapidly coming round to the view that we ought to do ‘modern British gritty’ – Luther, Line of Duty or Prime Suspect. However, we’ve finally settled on Happy Valley. We’re going to get Police Sergeant Catherine Cawood to stride along Cowgate and refuse to go home for a cup of Yorkshire tea until the truth is out.

Personally I would much prefer to solve this in a nice way, in a Death In Paradise sort of way, with more emphasis on the ‘Paradise’ than the ‘Death. This particular TV show has somehow become one of my favourites. Every Friday night there’s a suspicious murder on BBC1 at 9.05pm and, in the next few minutes, DI Neville Parker and his sunny crew of happy Caribbean rozzers solve the mystery. At 9.45pm all the suspects are rounded up, sat down and the culprit unmasked. Five minutes later, case solved, all the main protagonists are sitting in the beachside bar with a cold drink and lots of laughter. Now that’s the sort of world I want to live in – one where crimes are solved within minutes and no blood is shown.

So, people of Peterborough – please help us to solve The Mystery of the Disappearing Blue Plaque. It would be great we could all wake up one day and find that the plaque had been returned to its rightful position. No questions asked. That would make us all very happy. In Peterborough we could do with less Happy Valley, more happy ending.

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Peterborough's Heritage

This article was first published in the 16 March 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Heritage. Now there’s a word that’s bandied about in Civic Society circles. We are all encouraged to celebrate our heritage, protect our heritage, promote our heritage. But just what is heritage? In Dictionaryland it is described as ‘the full range of inherited traditions, monuments, objects and cultures’. Heritage is also beliefs, customs, acquired knowledge, social traditions and arts. I could go on. And it’s people that generate and value those traditions and carry them wherever they go. Just look at Peterborough.

Over the last hundred years people have arrived in the city from all corners of the United Kingdom and beyond – people have moved to Peterborough from the Fens, Yorkshire, London, Italy, Ireland, Poland, the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and more. Both sets of my grandparents moved to the city in the 1930s from Yorkshire and Birmingham. It could be argued that here is no such thing as a ‘traditional Peterborian’. We are all incomers, recent or otherwise. Much has been written about Ukrainians and how they can be supported to win this continuing, terrible war. Ironically Peterborough has had Ukrainian communities since the 1940s, long before many of us were aware of modern Ukraine. The list of people coming to Peterborough is long and encompasses many heritages and traditions and will undoubtedly do so in the future.

Peterborough Cathedral

Guildhall

Thorpe Hall

Some people, wrongly in my view, look upon heritage as keeping things the same. ‘Things were much better in the old days”, they might say. To which I might reply, “No they weren’t!” Just because we have a splendid Cathedral, iconic Guildhall and, despite what people say, attractive Cathedral Square that doesn’t mean that much of old and now vanished Peterborough was as pretty as a picture. Just look at some of the photographs collected on the excellent Peterborough Images website and you will see dour, rundown, and in some cases dilapidated pre-Queensgate city centre housing – look up Reform Street, Milton Street and St Leonard’s Street to see what I mean.

Heritage is as much about people as anything else – perhaps that’s where the city’s strength lies. The key to a strong and vibrant city, Peterborough or anywhere else for that matter, is how well we celebrate our different heritages whilst simultaneously looking to together drive our city forward in a coherent and cohesive way.

At one time Peterborough had a Heritage Festival, and very successful it was too, attracting people from near and far to look at Roman soldiers, a Civil War battle or to enjoy demonstrations of such ancient crafts as basket weaving or pottery. Sadly the Festival has not taken place over the past few years but a little bird tells me that it may be happening again in 2024. Its return would be a very welcome addition to Peterborough’s cultural calendar. I fondly remember seeing a Roman soldier walking along Long Causeway hand in hand with a Tudor maiden. Now that’s what I call cultural (and historical) diversity! Stuart Orme, the sometime Peterborough ‘Mr Museum’ once told me that the re-enactors themselves love coming to Peterborough to meet and mingle with ‘ordinary’ folk, people who haven’t paid £25 per carload to enter a swanky stately home. photo right - Peterborough Heritage Festival from 2015, ack Martin Pettitt (Flickr).

Peterborough doesn’t stand still. It never has done and it never will. The question that has to be asked is, “what do we want our city to look and feel like in the future- 2030 and beyond”? What heritage are we going to leave for our children, grandchildren and subsequent generations? And how do we make them proud of us, proud of their heritage?

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Donne Buck - unsung hero of children

This article was first published in the 20 April 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Last month a man died who had a profound effect on the city, in particular an important, and often overlooked, section of Peterborough’s population. The man’s name was Donne Buck and he was the Children’s Play Officer for the city’s Development Corporation from its inception in the 1970s to the mid-1980s. He was the only person to hold that post, no one held the post before Donne or after Donne.

Although the name Donne Buck may not be familiar to readers, I’m sure that most older Peterborough folk will be aware of Croft’s Corner, the Tunnel, Paston Farm and the Spinney – children’s adventure playgrounds created by the Development Corporation in the 1970s in Bretton, Orton, Paston and Westwood respectively. Donne was responsible for setting up these places for children to attend after school, at weekends and in the school holidays. They became a vital resource not only for children themselves but also for parents looking for stimulating places for their offspring to play safely. Donne was also responsible for reminding planners and architects about the need to create spaces for children to play safely in their own immediate neighbourhood. For example, many of the houses built in Bretton featured communal outdoor spaces where children could play whilst their parents kept a weather eye on them from the kitchen window.

Donne was a pioneer in his field and realised the importance of creative play for children. He understood that creativity isn’t just about painting, singing, writing or other ‘traditional’ pastimes. It’s just as much about building, creating, exploring, innovating and recycling. Donne was also an avid collector (perhaps even a hoarder) and could make interesting toys and games from even the most basic materials.

Now it has to be said that today’s Health & Safety executive would have a corporate heart attack if they knew of some of what occurred in those days. Children were not only encouraged to play and to use their imaginations but also create and, wait for it, take risks. Building dens out of spare and unused materials was a favourite pastime and this activity was finely balanced alongside injuries caused by hammers hitting thumbs and nails piercing the soles of flimsy plimsolls. You get the picture!

A couple of years ago I attended a presentation given by the developers behind Fletton Quays. On the plans I could see hundreds of flats, many sensitively situated amongst existing older buildings next to the river. Perhaps with a twinkle in my eye, I asked what facilities were being created within the development for children. The poor chap glazed over and clammed up – I may as well have asked if he was planning to build flats on the moon! My point is that perhaps Peterborough needs another Donne Buck to probe, challenge and remind!

In July 2019 a lunchtime lecture was given at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, celebrating Donne and his role in promoting play and children’s rights and the importance of play in children’s social and emotional development. Indeed Donne’s archive of material relating to children’s play is now held by the V&A, thus demonstrating beyond doubt that his work was of national importance. Thank you for everything you did for the children of this city – we are the richer for your work.

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What gets you going, lights your fuse?

This article was first published in the 18 May 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

In my experience Peterborough people are down-to-earth, straightforward, ‘take-as-I-find’ and usually undemonstrative. So when campaigning began last month for the local elections Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised a “clampdown on potholes” that resonated with many people. You can see potholes, you can hear potholes when you clunk over them and you can tut loudly when nothing has been done to fix them. Peterborough people are visual, we comment on what we see – good and bad.

In the same way I am convinced that many people voted in favour of Brexit because they literally saw mattresses lying on pavements outside houses. Rightly or wrongly they equated dumped mattresses with overcrowding and HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation) and felt that by reducing immigration many of society’s problems would be solved.

There are quite a few other visual touchstone issues in our fair city that get people going. Mention Cathedral Square fountains not working to Peterborians and most will proffer a firm opinion whilst simultaneously frothing at the mouth. Perhaps one day the city’s leaders will cease to use the words ‘fountains’ and ‘technical difficulties’ in the same sentence.

Another example - as my wife and I walk to London Road to watch Posh we walk past the hoarding on the as yet unfinished Hilton hotel on the south side of the Nene river bridge – it reads ‘New 160 Bedroom Hotel Coming Summer 2022’. There is still no actual opening date but the hoarding itself is a visual reminder of something yet to be completed.

In Queensgate we see empty units and a rather large John Lewis-size hole in the middle. I fully realise that the current times are economically hard but let’s hope that the relevant authorities have plans in place to rejuvenate the city once things improve. It’s not a good look.

Sadly we are also still waiting for North Westgate, the largely derelict area that visitors first see when they leave the railway station, to be developed. The ping-pong ball of blame continues to be batted between the Council and Hawksworth Securities PLC, the latter going so far as to pay for a PT advert stating their position a couple of weeks ago, However the fact remains that this is yet another example of what I am talking about – a visual reminder of what we perceive to be inertia and inaction.

Those who know me well know that I care about Peterborough, how it appears now, its future and its people. I have been accused by some of being negative. On the contrary, many of my comments and opinions, and those of the Civic Society, are grounded in wanting the best for our city, combined with the fact that all too often we seem to lack the flair, imagination and political cooperation to really get things done.

Another very visual issue is planting and flower beds. Paucity of council finances has meant that there has been far less colour adorning much of the city so far this spring. An example of this has been the flower beds surrounding the willow tree in Central Park. These have been empty for quite a while but thankfully help is at hand. The Civic Society, led by chairman David ‘Capability’ Turnock, has taken on the responsibility of negotiating with relevant Council officers to ensure that some planting occurs. The Civic Society has plans Watch this space!

I, like many others, want to open my front door in the morning and see that the world in general, and my Peterborough world in particular, is just that little bit better than it was yesterday. Of course we all have our own view about what ‘a little bit better’ looks like and let’s hope we can continue to debate that in a civilised way.

So what does light your fuse? Let me know at tobywood2008@googlemail.com, and if not yet a member, then do join us.

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The Embankment in the year 2073??

This article was first published in the 15 June 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

It’s the year 2073 and in Peterborough it’s time for a change. Peterborough City Council has decided that the pedestrian and cycling bridge over the river Nene just has to go. It’s nearly fifty years old and was due to last 120 years. Sadly it just hasn’t lasted that long and there have been too many accidents between cyclists and pedestrians. The Ken Charlery Bridge (named after Peterborough United’s most illustrious footballer and chosen by a binding online social media vote) was great when it was built but just isn’t fit for purpose in late 21st century Peterborough.

Campaigners back in 2023 did question the Council about this but their comments had not been heeded. The Embankment area in Peterborough is now one of the most successful parts of the city. In the late 2020s/early 2030s there had been strenuous efforts to develop the area and the national Where To Go survey of 2051 stated that the Embankment was 7th best place in the country to visit. Families can come and spend the whole day along the mile-long sensitively-developed area and wander amongst the multitude of bars, cafes, outdoor eateries, performance spaces and world-class children’s play area. The ARU Peterborough’s new outdoor performance area is iconic and attracts actors, shows and entertainers from all over the world.

The far reaches of the Embankment are still well-used for major outdoor events. The Beer Festival is now very well established and approaching its 94th year. The city is internationally renowned for its breweries and high-quality pubs and bars. Tripadvisor names Peterborough as the fourth best place in Europe for a beery weekend, behind Brussels, Amsterdam and Munich. Quite an accolade! Last month’s Elton John concert was a roaring success – the longevity of this 126-year-old rock superstar is testament as to how far medical science has come over the past century.

In all seriousness let us hope that the new bridge, and all that happens around it, is part of an overall plan for the city that is co-ordinated, costed and carefully-thought-out. The Embankment Masterplan talked of a Cultural Quarter built around the Key Theatre. This could be part of a wider Embankment scheme fit for the latter part of the 21st century but is currently very unlikely to happen due to financial strictures.

Sadly my fear is that, once again, any development will be piecemeal, only made possible with drip-drip occasional funding from outside the city – funds such as the Towns Fund or its successors. As has been well-documented, Peterborough has little or no money of its own. As we have been reminded by the current leader of the Council, The Vine is a concept, not an actual place or collection of places. In my opinion recent history shows that this does not bode well for the library, museum or other cultural facilities. After all, if the city can’t find £35,000 for refurbishing and maintaining Cathedral Square fountains (a good idea back in 2010), there’s little hope for finding funds to maintain other of the city’s facilities.

The dire financial situation is unlikely to change unless the government has a drastic rethink of how local government can be funded. Currently culture and leisure activities are the first to suffer and will continue to be so for some time to come. There is no evidence to suggest that this will change.

Finally, readers may notice that I haven’t mentioned the Posh stadium. Is it at still London Road in 2073 or is it on the Embankment? The answer is neither. Everyone wanting a new stadium finally saw the light and built a regional stadium near the A1 at Alwalton. The stadium, known as the FRYing Pan due to its shape, is the home of Peterborough United, European champions in 2059 and still managed by 94-year-old Lord Darren Ferguson who continues his love-hate relationship with Posh, managing them for the 27th time. Ferguson had persisted with his policy of bringing on young players and is the first manager to win the Champions League with only one of his players being over 13 years of age. You can win something with kids!

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Peterborough as a holiday destination

This article was first published in the 20 July 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

“Let’s go to Peterborough for a holiday”. Now that’s a phrase that you don’t hear very often. In fact there will be readers who chortle at the very idea of Peterborough being considered as a holiday destination. But I contend that, with the right approach and marketing, that’s exactly what could happen. Let me give you two actual examples.

Two seasons ago, when Posh were in the Championship, we played Birmingham City at home for the first time for many years. An away supporter walked from the station, through Cathedral Square to the football ground. He was so impressed by what he saw that he and his friends came back to the city a few weeks later and spent a long weekend here. The second example is a woman health professional who I recently met at a conference at our splendid new university, ARU Peterborough. She told me that she had never been to the city before but had enjoyed a lunchtime walk around the city centre. She said she would definitely return to spend a few days here. One downside to this story is that she also asked me if here was a bus that ran to Flag Fen. Sadly I had to tell her, “No”.

Some readers may mock me for suggesting that Peterborough could become a holiday destination, but it already is! I am reliably informed that over 5,000 people regularly come to Ferry Meadows and stay at the camping and caravan facilities. Those people are always looking for things to do, so why not ensure that they are fully aware of what Peterborough can offer.

It has to be said that currently Peterborough is not good at promoting the city as a cohesive whole. Indeed, type Peterborough into Google and the question ‘What is Peterborough famous for’ pops up. Click on the link and the following phrase is shown – ‘Peterborough is primarily known for its historic cathedral, but you’ll find additional history and modern family-friendly fun here, too’. All rather vague, I’m sure you’ll agree.

UK.Hotels.com goes a bit further and lists the ‘10 Best things to do in Peterborough’ (click link). That list comprises Peterborough Cathedral, Nene Valley Railway, Ferry Meadows Country Park, Railworld Wildlife Haven, Peterborough Museum, Sacrewell Farm, Flag Fen Archaeology Park, The Key Theatre, Elton Hall and Gardens and Showcase Cinema De Lux.

Of course we could all add other attractions to that list – Longthorpe Tower, Thorpe Hall, Burghley House and John Clare Cottage. And therein lies the possible way forward. In Peterborough most of us know of the value of individual parts of our city’s heritage but perhaps we are poor at helping both residents and visitors make connections between them, thus promoting Peterborough as that aforementioned cohesive whole. Why not encourage people to visit Flag Fen in the morning and John Clare Cottage in the afternoon? The city must encourage people to make those connections – perhaps with a Day Rover admission ticket or perhaps by literally connecting our tourist attractions with a regular, circular bus service.

I know that those involved with Peterborough Tourism Network Group are currently thinking of ways to promote the city and to try to encourage Peterborough’s own people, new and old, to visit the city’s attractions. I fully realise that economic times are hard and money tight. However now is surely the time to plan for the time when the economy starts to strengthen. The challenge for Peterborough is, can we do it, have we the political will to do it and do we have people with the ’glint in the eye’ to make things work?

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Help look after the area where you live

This article was first published in the 24 August 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Now it’s stating the obvious that I, along with my colleagues in the Civic Society, want the best for Peterborough, its citizens and visitors. Of course we can all think of different ways that this can be achieved. A 72-year-old will obviously have different priorities from a 52, 22 or even 12-year-old and it’s right that we should all look at this from a variety of age groups, angles, perspectives, cultural backgrounds and experiences.

A couple of weeks ago I parked in the Car Haven behind the Town Hall only to find that one of the ticket machines was working, one was not working and, bizarrely, one has a display stating that it was working but a sticker telling me that it was ‘Out Of ‘Order’. I queued up at the machine that was working, had a chunter, and bought my ticket using my credit card (I haven’t used cash since the Covid-19 epidemic). I then photographed the machines so that I could tweet the faulty machines to the City Council. Incidentally, while I was doing this, a very pleasant woman sporting an NHS lanyard came up to me, beamed at me and said, ‘would you like any help?” I meekly replied that I was “OK thanks.” I must be looking elderly!

To their credit Peterborough City Council responded within an hour and later Cllr Steve Allen, the Cabinet member for Housing, Culture & Communities, contacted me to let me know that action was being taken and that the problem is often caused by vandals regularly targeting the machines and damaging them by jamming items into the coin slots. Gosh, there’s some stupid people about! My initial reaction is that all parking machines should be card only, then we would all know where we stand. Others might disagree. Discuss!

The Civic Society wants the best for the city but, as well as praising and lauding positive efforts and new developments, will point out shortcomings and inadequacies. This is not done from a negative viewpoint, it is genuinely done to try to be helpful. Regular readers will know that I, along with my colleagues, want the best for the city, try to look for the praiseworthy but will also call out any shortcomings that the city might have. Incidentally, we’re not having much luck operating Cathedral Square fountains or Central Park paddling pools, are we?


Helping Peterborough City Council with their litter action week	Litter pick for National Civic Day with help from The Lions Club

Reports on the above can be found on our News and Views page.

But it shouldn’t just be up to councils, statutory authorities, interested charities and community groups to ensure that our city is safe and attractive. We all have a responsibility to play our part. So, it’s only right and proper that individual citizens help to ensure that our city, and its centre in particular, is a place to visit, use and enjoy. Readers might laugh at some of the things I’m going to suggest but here goes! Citizens should be more personally responsible and should not drop litter, dump large items on the streets, park a car in the wrong place, make undue noise in and around our homes … just simple, basic stuff. There are plenty more examples.

In short, it’s not just a matter of saying, “what are THEY going to do about it?” It’s just as much a matter of what are WE going to do about it! Surely we can all play our part in keeping or city smart and attractive?

Of course I’m probably preaching to the converted here. What PT reader would ever engage in anti-social behaviour? No matter. I, just like you dear PT reader, will continue to do my best.

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Peterborough - city of change

This article was first published in the 21 September 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Recently I took part in a film celebrating 25 years of the Peterborough Poet Laureate competition. I was lucky enough to be the city’s first poet laureate, winning with a poem called Infant School Hymn. While I’m at it I must acknowledge all those previous laureates, Andre Mackie, Joy Harris, Mark Wright, Peter Cox, Diana Millard, Chris Todd, Parminder Summon, Patricia Higham, Mark Grist, Keely Mills, Michael Riccardi, Nikki Digliovanni, Simon Stabler, Peter Irving, Charley Genever, Clare Currie, Malika Speaks and Kat Beeton. The list continues to grow – let’s hope that Peterborough has a poet laureate for the next 25 years and beyond!

Meet up of some past Peterborough Poet Laureates

From left to right Kat Beeton, Toby Wood, Keely Mills, Peter Cox Malika Speaks

Whilst we were filming, the poet laureates discussed the role and what makes Peterborough special. Of course this is a subject that we all wrestle with but two things stood out. First, every single laureate writes, performs and communicates in a slightly different way, thus emphasising the varied nature of Peterborough and its citizens. Second, we all recognised that the one thing that Peterborough is good at is – change. Just look at Peterborough’s various stages of development.

We are not a sleepy market town that has stayed the same and has merely become a twee museum of tea shops and noteworthy nostalgia. Of course Peterborough has its traditions, heritage and cultural legacies but it also has innovation and immigration. Those who raise an eyebrow to this statement would do well to remember that one of Peterborough’s most famous and well-liked sons, Walter Cornelius**, that eccentric strongman and Lido lifesaver, came here from Latvia. When I was a child my favourite teacher, the one who encouraged me to write, was Mr Kuras who taught at All Souls (now St Thomas More primary school). He came to this country during WWII as part of the Polish Air Force. I remember him fondly 65 years later.

** Ed. see our Lido Blue Plaque also Toby wrote a poem about Walter, follow the links to see them.

Over the years I have mixed with a people from other countries and cultures. Aged five my favourite country dancing partner was Dutch, later the goal scorers in the primary football team in which I was a keen if ungainly defender were Italian. My predecessor as house captain at Deacons School, the late Lloyd Watson, had a Jamaican father – I was always proud that blues guitarist Lloyd made it onto The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972. During my teaching career perhaps the hardest working children I ever taught were the so-called Vietnamese boat people, fleeing terrible war and suffering. One of the girls, ten years old when she arrived with not one word of English, won an English language prize at secondary school four years later and became a successful NHS doctor in her early twenties. She was a star.

Perhaps my favourite fairly recent interchange was with a five-year-old Russian girl in a local school who told me that she had ‘pot noodles’ in her legs. I replied that I think she might have meant pins and needles. She then proceeded to talk to me in English for five minutes about how she found learning English hard. How we laughed!!

I could quite easily fill this article with tales of people coming to Peterborough from Mirpur, the Punjab, Hong Kong, Poland, Lithuania, Afghanistan, Ukraine and many other places. I could also write about the Italian community and how they literally (by making bricks) helped to build the country. In fact I could go on for ages! I recognise that I might be full of these anecdotes but I only use them to demonstrate that our city is good at welcoming newcomers and embracing change. Peterborough rarely stands still.

Incidentally, this week I am taking a group of staff from the new ARU Peterborough for a taster walk round the city centre, they are looking at how best to attract overseas students to come to study in the city. Once again this is surely a positive move for our city. Peterborough – city of change. Now that’s got quite a ring about it!

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Community spirit: vital now and in the future

This article was first published in the 19 October 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Community – a word that is often bandied about but one that is often hard to define. A sense of community is certainly not something that can suddenly be created or magicked out of thin air. Community is something that evolves and grows, rather like a plant that is sown, fed and nurtured. Community is also something that is vital for society’s wellbeing but which is all too-often taken for granted or totally overlooked.

In 1978 I was appointed as community co-ordinator at the city’s first community primary school – Honeyhill in Paston. As well as being a class teacher, I set up and organised a number of groups, from playgroups, mother and toddler groups, karate clubs, older people’s groups and groups for new arrivals. The school’s caretaker, Don Houghton, was a leading light in the community and was instrumental in setting up the legendary Friday night social club, complete with bar, bands and fun! Everyone was new to the area. In that new part of Peterborough everyone was an incomer, from London, Glasgow, Belfast and beyond – we even had a large number of Vietnamese ‘boat people’, displaced due to war. The sense of community was considered important – it was vital for people to feel part of something outside their immediate family. These were good times and the community activities hopefully helped to make people feel at ease in their new city. At the time the Development Corporation, Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council all employed community workers to ensure cohesion and to promote a sense of belonging.

There was a time when the concept of community mattered. When new townships of Bretton, Orton and Paston were built, community workers were employed to ensure that people settled in and felt valued in their new homes. A couple of years ago, when I asked some of those behind the new Fletton Quays housing what community facilities were being incorporated into the new development, I think the phrase is ‘they looked at me gone out’!

Community is clearly a word that is understood and promoted by Eva Woods (right), a member of the Youth Parliament for Peterborough. Recently Eva bemoaned the fact that the city’s community centres might be sold off by Peterborough City Council. She wrote, “it’s brought tears to my eyes to hear that we might lose some of the few community spaces we have. Money is money, but community is one of those things that out city can really be proud of right now. Don’t take it away”.

In July this year Peterborough’s MP, Paul Bristow, in one of his tweets praised one of his ‘Peterborough Heroes’. He was referring to ‘Titch’ Setchfield who, along with her daughter, have been ‘working for the community in Eastfield for decades. I often disagree with Mr Bristow but on this occasion he was absolutely right when he stated that ‘everything they do at the Chestnuts Community Centre is greatly appreciated’. I knew ‘Titch’ and her family when I worked at Abbotsmede Primary School in the last century. They and their neighbours appreciated the need for a community to support itself, this avoiding feelings of loneliness and isolation.

So it is with some alarm that I hear that Peterborough City Council may soon be disposing of assets, which may include some or all of the city’s community centres. I fully appreciate that national and local government policies have meant that only those responsibilities that are statutory are likely to be maintained – for some reason that’s what people voted for - but it is nevertheless short-sighted for some of these facilities to be sold off or put into private hands, thus fragmenting city-wide efforts. It takes days to dismantle something, it takes years to build.

Peterborough has a future. But that future belongs to people like Eva Woods. She, and those currently young people, need to be listened to and their opinions taken note of. Community … don’t take it away!

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Time to reclaim our city centre

This article was first published in the 16 November 2023 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

At 4.00pm on a many Friday afternoons I regularly meet a friend of mine, David, at The Ostrich pub in North Street. We chew the cud and put the world to rights in a convivial atmosphere whilst drinking decent beers served by barman David. (Incidentally I do know a few other people who are not called David).

At 6.00pm I leave the pub and walk to Midgate to catch a bus home. However, recently this walk has become increasingly unpleasant. Two Fridays ago I left The Ostrich and walked past a chap sitting in the North Street doorway of Westgate House next to a pile of human faeces. Round the corner I had to be careful not to be knocked down by a shrieking car racing down Westgate. Next I saw a smartly-dressed young man urinating in a doorway. Then to Midgate where a man in a sleek back car parked on the pavement was shouting and berating a group of three young women, the only words I could make out were similar those used regularly by Dominic Cummings. The bus took 30 minutes to arrive, during which time I watched two people dozing under a grubby white duvet in a doorway. Remember, this was 6.00pm, not midnight.

As part of my work with the Civic Society, I give talks to community groups in and around the city, about fifty so far. Many of those attending tell me that they no longer visit the city centre. Phrases such as “I don’t bother now that John Lewis has closed” or “we only go as far as Brotherhoods Retail Park or Serpentine Green” are common. Up to now I bravely battle on, defending the city centre as best I can.

At the end of blue plaques talk I ask the audience who they would like to propose for more blue plaques. Answers include Ernie Wise, Peter Boizot, members of various ethnic minorities and Clark Gable, the Hollywood film star who was stationed nearby during WWII and who regularly came into the city centre for some Saturday night fun. I very much doubt that Mr Gable’s experience would have been the same as mine. Indeed, had there been misdemeanours on a 1940s Saturday night, I reckon there would have been people around to ‘sort them out’. Edit. Clark Gable served as an observer air-gunner with the USAF 351st bomb group which operated out of RAF Polesworth. He, his cameraman and sound engineer flew real combat missions, following the crew of the B-17 Ain’t It Gruesome.

Let me be clear. I’m not blaming individuals for what is happening in 2023. I’m not having a go at Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, Cllr Mohammed Farooq, Paul Bristow MP or other local leaders. The problems are deeply-rooted, multifarious and complicated and will not be solved by litter-picks, flower-tub planting or installing lamp-post poppies, worthy though those activities might be.

So what can be done? The initial step is admitting that there is a city centre problem in the first place. Then, as a city, we have to come up with a plan that affects, discourages and changes certain behaviours. We need enforcement to be visible and operating after 5.00pm. We need effective policing by people who understand the people, appreciate problems, know the trouble spots and who have the skills to anticipate problems before they arise. We need to show in no uncertain terms that we mean business! Incidentally, if anyone tells me that these things are already in place, then they’re not working!

If action is not taken – and soon – then people like me will a) visit the city centre less; b) only visit during the day or possibly c) enjoy a few beers at home, thus ensuring that the city centre night-time economy shrivels and dies.

Peterborough is your city, our city and my city. Together we need to reclaim the streets, promote decency and cleanliness and work together to find achievable solutions. Using a bit of local parlance we need a ‘summit to do summat’. I’ll drink to that!

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