Peterborough Telegraph articles 2025

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The Budget Consultation 2025/2026	Peterborough's Poet Laureate competition	Enjoyable 2 hr walk around the city centre	Different AI opinions of Peterborough	Why I love Dogsthorpe	My record of National Civic Day 2025

What happened to Council's promise to promote tourism?	Exploring the Great Outdoors	What is The Guildhall?	Railways continued part in Peterborough	Peterborough Milestones	The ordinary people of Peterborough

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The Budget Consultation 2025/2026

This article was first published in the 9 January 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood. Given the closure date of 14 January, for clarfication our members were alerted to, and encouraged to have their say on the consultation in advance of this piece appearing in the Peterborough Telegraph.

It’s just after the New Year, I’ve got a stinking cold and have just lost a filling out of a tooth. How can I cheer myself up? I know, I’ll read Peterborough City Council’s Budget Consultation Document 2025/26. That should do the trick.

Alas, nothing could be further from the truth. The more I read the 28-page paper, the more I realise that Peterborough is in deep financial trouble, so much so that hitherto sacred cows such as the Lido and our beloved local branch libraries are potential targets for cuts. Surely we cannot allow this to happen.

Now let’s be clear about this. This is no longer a party-political knockabout despite what some might have you believe. The Budget Consultation Document document has a foreword written by Cllr Dennis Jones, Leader of the Council and Labour group, which is supported by Cllr John Howard, Chair of the Financial Sustainability Working Group and member of Peterborough First, as well as by Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, Leader of the Conservative Group. In short politicians of all parties are, or have been responsible for the city’s finances, and all concerned are now responsible for offering suggestions as to how we can get out of this mess. Of course we could have a long discussion about national government funding formulas but that’s for another day. The same goes for external funding steams, a topic so complicated it would take a PT special supplement just to scratch the surface.

The problem for Peterborough, and for many other local authorities, is clear to see. 45% of our money is spent on Adult social care and 34% on Children’s services, a whopping total of 79% of the entire budget. That leaves 21% to be spent on highways and transport, planning and development, cultural, central, housing and environmental services. Provision for vulnerable children and older people is enshrined in law – we can’t get out of it and there would be understandable outcry (and legal repercussions) if these responsibilities were avoided or ignored.

Nevertheless Peterborough City Council, its councillors and officers, have responsibility to ensure that citizens feel involved and committed to the place where they live. Closing the iconic Lido would be so damaging – it would be the vandalistic equivalent of selling off the Cathedral for flats, tarmacing over Ferry Meadows or pebble-dashing the front of Burghley House. There would rightly be public outrage and, perhaps most tellingly, the public’s trust in politicians would diminish even further.

There are of course options for the way forward – council tax could be raised, even more than the accepted possible 4.99% increase. A long list of possibilities is included in the second half of the report. My own wish would be for Council officers to investigate external sponsorships and funding streams. Where is that nice Mr Musk when you need him? Perhaps we could play our part by proposing that some functions could be taken over and managed as part of a community effort?

But for now it’s important that we have our say – if we don’t then we can’t accuse the Council of not listening to us.

As part of the budget-setting process there is a public consultation, open to all Peterborough residents which ends at midnight on Tuesday 14 January. The Council has invited us to have our say and it is my view that, if we are able, it is our civic duty to respond. The online survey only takes five minutes to complete and asks for basic opinions about generation income, raising council tax, introducing or increasing charges, reducing services and more. Please take the time to respond. After all, we’re all in this together!

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Peterborough's Poet Laureate competition

This article was first published in the 20 February 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Life can be a struggle. It can be a struggle for individuals, families, groups and organisations. It can certainly be a struggle for local authorities, we’ve heard plenty about how Peterborough City Council is strapped for cash and everyone I’ve spoken to has an opinion on why that might be. However, now is not the time to apportion blame or point fingers. Instead I shall try to shine the spotlight on those who are doing their best to promote some of the good aspects of our city.

When times are hard and belts need to be metaphorically tightened, it’s culture, the arts and leisure that suffer most. Already this year we have had an outcry about the possible closure of the Lido and thankfully assurances have been given about its future for this year at least. Other vital and well-used facilities, including district libraries, are still under threat and many Peterborough folk, myself included, are thinking of wearing tee-shirts with ‘Is Nothing Sacred’ emblazoned on the front.

However, all is not lost and there are examples of good practice and enterprise that deserve recognition and praise.

Last November I wrote about the launch of ‘True Voices: a Peterborough anthology’, a collection of poetry and prose from writers with close connections to Peterborough, showcased at an event at the Museum organised by UCP (University Centre Peterborough) in Park Crescent.

Two weeks ago I followed this up by compering an event, this time at UCP itself, the annual Poet Laureate competition organised once again by Syntax, a collective of local poets and creative folk who describe themselves as ‘the poetry lungs of Peterborough’. I was fortunate enough to win the first ever competition in the last century, back in 1998! The event has now been held for the past 27 years so it surely can be counted as an established Peterborough tradition.

Since then Peterborough’s other poet laureates have been Andrew Mackie, Joy Harris, Mark Wright, Peter Cox, Diana Millard, Chris Todd, Parminder Summon, Patricia Higham, Mark Grist, Keely Mills, Michael ‘Mixxy’ Riccardi, Nikki Giovanni, Simon Stabler, Peter Irving, Charley Genever, Clare Currie, Malika Speaks, Kat Beeton and Lauren Kendrick.

The room at UCP was full and we listened to entries from thirteen poets who performed in reverse alphabetical order (I hate alphabetical order) – Zain Awan, Taiwo Michael Oloyede, Silje Stromsen Roberts, Sean Flynn, Sarah Vassiliades, Peter Larke, Levi Mills, Kinz Russo, Jo Henry, Hilary Steele, Helen Cross, Dave Horgan and Alex Tyler. Poets ranged from 18-80 years old, some confident, some nervous, some mainstream, others quirky but all worthy of being listened to. The nature of poetry meant that every contribution was varied, well-thought-out and individual. Some pieces were short, some longer – that’s one of the beauties of poetry, if you don’t like one piece, it isn’t long before something else comes along!

The event was won by Alex Tyler (seen far right) who, now that he’s become Peterborough poet laureate 2025, will be able to showcase his work to an even wider audience. His work is amusing, accessible and extremely user-friendly. Look out for his and other poetry events in around the city. Even though you might not be immediately grabbed by what poetry might stand for, take it from me you will be pleasantly surprised by the high level of sheer entertainment provided by some of Peterborough’s wordsmiths.

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Walking around Peterborough city centre - two hours well spent

This article was first published in the 20 March 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

A few weeks ago I was contacted via the Civic Society’s website by a chap from Leeds who was planning to spend a day in Peterborough with his father. For years they had both undertaken rail journeys around the country together but had never stopped in Peterborough. Along with nearly a million rail travellers a year, they had either hurtled through Peterborough without stopping or had merely stopped for a short while to pick up passengers heading south.

They had often wondered what Peterborough was actually like so asked me if I might escort them around the city for a couple of hours. Of course I was happy to oblige.

I met them at the station on a bright, cheerful Thursday morning and introduced myself. The walk from the station to Cowgate ain’t exactly beautiful. The apparently derelict Great Northern hotel and the walk underneath Crescent bridge roundabout are currently not a good first impression but hopefully that will soon change with any Station Quarter redevelopment. I am far less optimistic about any North Westgate changes – that area has been blighted for years and there appears to be little progress.

However things brightened up when we passed the splendid newish Nathan Murdoch/Tony Nero mural at the end of Cowgate. My guests were impressed! As we walked towards Cathedral Square the Cathedral itself gradually loomed into view. My visitors are immediately wowed by the site of the west front but I gently told them that they’ll have to ‘hold their horses’ – we’ll get there in good time. Having looked up and spotted the three Antony Gormley ‘Places To Be’ statues on rooftops around the square, we walked into Westgate Arcade and through to Westgate and along to St Peter’s College, pausing to gaze at the new Northminster development. I reminded the visitors that Peterborough used to have a market on that site, hard to believe now as we look at the huge brand-new housing complex.

Then we walked through Wheel Yard to the Cathedral and spent half an hour looking at the ceiling, grave of Katharine of Aragon as well as chatting to the guides about Old Scarlett, Mary Queen of Scots and the parlous state of church finances.

Once we had finished at the Cathedral we walked through the cloisters, stopping to look at Laurel Court and the blue plaque commemorating Edith Cavell. From there we walked through Bishop’s Gardens where I pointed out the Henry Pearson Gates memorial that recognises Peterborough’s first mayor and which used to stand proudly on Cathedral Square (mentioned in our Guildhall blue plaque), then the Market Square.

Over the road we wandered past the Lido, a building which always looks very striking on a sunny day when its pale green colours and geometric shapes contrast with the blue sky. I can’t wait to take a few photographs inside before the season begins! From there we stood on the river bank, looking back at the Key Theatre and conjecturing about the huge potential of the Embankment as a destination for families to enjoy some leisure time.

We then walked back along Bridge Street, stopping to learn about the bellfounder Henry Penn at the Voice of the City sculpture near the courthouse. We noted the Town Hall then went to the Museum via Priestgate. I particularly wanted to show them the room at the Museum which houses the amazingly intricate bone models made by the inmates at the Norman Cross Napoleonic prisoner of war camp. They were both amazed at the staggering level of workmanship.

Our journey ended back on Cathedral Square where I bade farewell to my new Leeds friends before they went off for a late lunch. Hopefully they went back to the station having enjoyed their time in Peterborough. Perhaps they will spread the word that there is plenty of look at and enjoy in our city centre. Fingers crossed!

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Different AI opinions of Peterborough?

This article was first published in the 17 April 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Recently we have read and heard a great deal about AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its potential effects on us all. Perhaps AI may have contributed to parts of this very newspaper. Indeed, before long we may be asking if Peterborough Telegraph’s Stephen Briggs, Paul Grinnell, Gemma Gadd or Ben Jones really do exist? Is Alan Swann merely a computer-generated sports bot?

So, I thought that I would dip my toe into the murky AI waters attempt and make use of this ever-evolving technology. Where better place to start than by asking AI two contrasting questions. First, ‘What is good about Peterborough, England in a hundred words?” and secondly the reverse, ‘What is bad about Peterborough, England in a hundred words?’.

Well, here we go – AI’s answer to the first question is as follows.

‘Peterborough, England, is a gem of history and charm. Its crown jewel, the majestic Peterborough Cathedral, boasts stunning Gothic architecture and centuries of stories. The River Nene winds through, offering scenic beauty and tranquil walks. Vibrant green spaces like Ferry Meadows provide a haven for nature lovers, while the bustling city centre blends modern amenities with a friendly, community feel. Affordable living, strong transport links to London, and a rich cultural scene—festivals, markets, and museums—add to its appeal. With a thriving economy, welcoming locals, and a mix of old-world allure and contemporary life, Peterborough is a delightful place to call home.’

Hmm! Not too bad albeit rather bland and general. So, what about the opposite question - ‘What is bad about Peterborough England in a hundred words?’. The answer comes back …

‘Peterborough, England, faces some challenges. Parts of the city struggle with outdated infrastructure and urban decay, particularly in neglected areas. Crime rates, including petty theft and antisocial behaviour, are higher than some neighbouring towns, raising safety concerns. Traffic congestion clogs key routes, frustrating commuters. Limited nightlife and entertainment options can leave younger residents wanting more vibrancy. Economic disparities persist, with pockets of deprivation contrasting sharper areas. Flood risks from the River Nene loom, especially in wet seasons. While the city has charm, these issues—combined with a sometimes dreary reputation—can dim its appeal for those seeking a more polished urban experience’.

I’m sure you will agree with some of the statements in both computer-generated answers. As with much in life, the REAL answer lies somewhere in the middle, in that vast grey area called ‘personal opinion’. For example, there are many local folk who subscribe to the ‘it was better in the good old days’ tendency. However, all you have to do is look at some of the photos of the ‘old days’ to see how grimy and dirty streets and buildings were compared to today.

I have many friends and acquaintances who are now of the ‘I don’t go to town any more, there’s nothing there for me’ persuasion. Indeed it is true that the nature of the centre is constantly evolving. Last week my wife and I wandered into Cathedral Square, through a large number of stalls – it was just like entering the market from 75 years ago, the main difference being that today’s stalls were selling craft and hobby items, in days of yore these would have been food and produce stalls. We now do most of our food shopping at out of town centres such as those at Hampton or Brotherhoods Retail Park. However now that there are an increasing number of city centre flats and residential conversions, perhaps the demand for city centre retail food outlets will once again increase.

Anyway, back to AI and its effect on us all. I’m sure we will learn to use any new technology to good effect. Perhaps in time the city will find ways to harness AI to resurrect the fountains in Cathedral Square, eliminate cycling in Bridge Street or to rejuvenate the city centre’s retail offer. Give it time!

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Why I love Dogsthorpe

This article was first published in the 15 May 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

About three years ago I wrote an article praising Peterborough’s green spaces, in particular those contained within the area where I have lived all my life – Dogsthorpe. Readers with long memories will remember that I waxed lyrical about the names of the old Dogsthorpe streets which celebrate and immortalise may of the trees found here - Acacia, Almond, Ash, Beechwood, Birchtree, Cedar, Cerris, Cherrytree, Chestnut, Figtree, Hawthorne, Larch, Lilac, Maple, Myrtle, Oakleaf, Olive, Pinetree, Poplar, Rowan, Sycamore and Willow. Once again I may have missed some!

On 5th May, Bank Holiday Monday, I had a wander round Dogsthorpe and was reminded of why I love the place so much. I particularly noticed the VE Day street party taking place in Olive Road, a street so blessed with a vast open green space that the large numbers enjoying the sandwiches, ice-cream and jelly were doing so on a large green space with no danger of being mown down by cars.

When I was growing up in Eastern Avenue me and my mates were able to play ‘out the front’ and our parents knew we would be safe from harm. Howard, Steven, Trevor, Paul Binns and me – we just played from dawn ‘til dusk. We mainly played cowboys and Indians, taking it in turns to be marauding Apaches or Comanches, then brave US cavalrymen or sheriffs. Our horses ran like the wind and when we got shot we merely had to lie still, count to ten and then get up and rush around again, brandishing our imaginary bows, arrows and Colt 45s.

We never ‘got the girl’ because, at that age we weren’t interested in ‘getting the girl’ and, by the time I was interested in ‘getting a girl’, I was at Deacons Grammar School for Boys, a sort of secondary school Alcatraz where girls just did not exist. Perhaps that’s a tale for another day!

Our Eastern Avenue house was next to a bungalow where the Cobbs lived and, on the other side, were two police houses (remember them) where PC Cook and Sergeant Lee resided, keeping a close eye on issues of the day such as riding a bike without lights! Life appeared much more simple then but perhaps that’s just my misty eyes looking back!

A feature of many of the houses was that they were constructed with a small adjoining outbuilding and toilet. This was where coal could be delivered and stored without the coalman having to traipse through the house and where Perkins man could take off his greasy overalls without making the rest of the house dirty. There is still evidence of this feature today although most of these buildings have now been incorporated into the main house.

Dogsthorpe was special then, and is still special today. Not only does it have thousands of trees, beautiful in spring and summer, but there are wide grass verges and vast distances between the odds and evens, a reminder of times when land was cheap and council houses ‘fit for heroes’ mattered.

I vividly remember my early life in Dogsthorpe so was extremely proud when, a week ago, I escorted my friend and fellow poetry mucker Keely Mills on a journey round the streets. We both noticed the features that made this late-1940s estate so special – the wide grass verges, particularly on the southern end of Eastern Avenue that now allow cars to be safely parked off road; the large number of safe, enclosed play spaces for children to play – just have a look on Google Earth and you will see that large amount of green space. Behind where I live is the extensive Larch Grove sheltered housing facility, built in 1970 and replacing allotments, mostly bungalows where old Dogsthorpians and others can now live out heir days in comfort and quiet.

When I was a child the Focus Youth Club in Chestnut Avenue was a major player in providing facilities for young people and keeping youngsters off the streets. In particular its boxing club was legendary. Now it is home to FC Peterborough who now play in a league against such teams as Haverhill, Framlingham (of Ed Sheeran fame) Diss Town and Holbeach.

Next year Dogsthorpe is eighty years old and I am sure there will be plenty of reminders and celebrations. Perhaps even Keely and I might think of something.

In the meantime, if you don’t know Dogsthorpe well, try to make the opportunity to have a ride or walk round for an hour or so. I guarantee it will be time well spent – but just watch out for the Apaches!

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My record of National Civic Day 2025

This article was first published in the 19 June 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

National Civic Day in the UK is a day to celebrate civic pride, a day that encourages communities to consider action to improve their local areas. It's a day for people to demonstrate their care for their local environment through various community activities. Civic Day is a national event, a day of civic pride, on which we celebrate our villages, towns and cities. Civic Day is held annually and, in 2025, was celebrated on Saturday 14 June.

Now I’m not going to suggest that everything in Peterborough’s garden is rosy, far from it, but I am going to continue to be proud of the place where I was born brought up, worked and continue to call my home. Peterborough is constantly changing, sometimes for the better, sometimes less so, but the fact remains that it is up to us to help to shape and influence the place that we call home.

Consequently, as part of the Civic Society’s contribution to National Civic Day, I decided to spend the day, Saturday 14 June, in and around the city centre taking photographs of whatever was happening. I wanted to capture what was going on for posterity, As it happened there was lots to see, particularly on Cathedral Square where there was a Portuguese Festival. By mid-afternoon the place was thronging, with loads of red and green banners and flags and the sounds of people enjoying themselves. The men seemed to be mostly eating and drinking whilst the women and children danced vigorously and sang heartily.

I wandered round town, taking pictures of the buildings – Cathedral, Guildhall, Lido and many others – of Nathan Murdoch’s excellent murals, of the river and Embankment, Antony Gormley’s rooftop ‘Places To Be’ statues, Westgate, Queensgate and much more besides. I even took photographs of cars in the Car Haven. After all, people looking back in fifty years’ time might be amused by the vehicles we drove! In particular I was struck by the shade offered by the large number of trees in Bridge Street. Not many cities are so lush in the centre.

An added bonus was seeing a Battle of Britain Memorial flight Lancaster bomber fly over Cathedral Square just after midday on its way to the Botolph Green Festival. I pointed my camera into the sun and got lucky.

I spent the rest of the weekend editing the photographs and compiling a document that I have called ‘One Day: 14 June 2025, Civic Day’. If you want to access the full document that I produced, please visit the Peterborough Civic Society website homepage – you’ll find it there. If you would like a pdf of the document just send a message via the Contact Us/Mail Us link. Feel free to send the document to anyone you wish – it is copyright-free.

Hopefully in fifty years’ time, in 2075, the year in which Posh come second in the Premier League, hover scooters are banned in Bridge Street and the Hilton hotel finally opens, future Peterborough citizens will be hopefully still be able to access the document, will look back and say, “oh, that’s what Peterborough looked like in 2025 …”

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What happened to Council's promise to actively lead in promoting tourism?

This article was first published in the 17 July 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Recently I, and other members of the Civic Society, have been involved with a group of people keen on promoting Peterborough, in this instance people visiting the city by rail.

This group has produced an excellent brochure called ‘Visit Peterborough: Gateway to the Hereward Line’. The Hereward Line is the rail route that links Ely, Manea, March, Whittlesea with Peterborough. Incidentally, should I be writing Whittlesea or Whittlesey? Discuss! The brochure is produced by the Hereward Community Rail Partnership which works with stakeholders including LNER, CrossCountry Trains, East Midlands Railway and Greater Anglia. The Hereward Line itself links with other services that take the traveller north, south, east and west from Peterborough. Truly our city is a key transport hub, hence the need for the Station Quarter to be revamped and improved.

Other key players in this initiative are Fenland District Council and Peterborough Positive. Both organisations include dynamic people who have the love of Peterborough and surrounding area at the heart of what they do.

The brochure is freely available – I acquired mine from Peterborough railway station – it contains snapshots of our bus station, the Cathedral, Cathedral Square, the Lido, Bishop’s Gardens and Ferry Meadows/Country Park. In addition there are images of Whittlesey Buttercross, March Riverside and Market, Manea Pits, Welney Wash birdwatching and Ely Cathedral, the ‘Ship of the Fens’.

The brochure follows on from a Peterborough City Walking & Cycling Map produced by the same organisation, an essential map that tells readers more about blue plaques, Gormley statues, Railworld Wildlife Haven, Nene Valley Railway, the Museum & Art Gallery and much, much more. Apologies to those organisations and places that I’ve not mentioned! Follow link to view the map.

As I have mentioned in this column before, Pep Cipriano’s Peterborough Positive has also produced an excellent handy pocket-sized map of the city centre. We spent much time with Peterborough Positive’s Terri Flack ensuring that everything is in the right place on the map, not always a simple task!

Now at this point I must mention the ‘elephant’ in the room’, Peterborough City Council’s very own Visitor Economy Strategy, a 46-page document freely available on the PCC website (follow link to download), which was approved by Cabinet in October 2024. Despite assurances back in March that this document would be taken forward, nothing has happened and it looks like yet another year will slip by. Local organisations and tourist destinations, from Burghley House, the Cathedral to Peterborough United, Flag Fen and Nene Valley Railway (I could mention dozens more) are on their starting blocks ready and willing to be part of promoting Peterborough individually and collectively. I can see the poster now – ‘Peterborough … while you’re here why not visit …”.

Yet again the problem appears to be that Peterborough City Council is ‘on its uppers’ and has no money. Indeed the Council currently can’t afford a room, let alone an elephant to go in it. But surely there are people within the Council who can join those I’ve already mentioned, reawaken the interest and just get on with it!!!

I’ve always said we need people with the ‘glint in the eye’. Indeed I’m sick of saying it. Perhaps those in power reading this article will be able to reassure us all that things only can only get better. I look forward to the debate continuing in the PT.

On the back of the old Woolworth’s/TK Maxx in town Peterborough Positive have commissioned yet another mural from local hero Nathan Murdoch. At the time of writing it’s certainly looking great. The mural recognises Peterborough’s most famous immigrant, Walter Cornelius, strongman, record-breaker and all-round eccentric character. Goodness knows what dear Walter would make of all this shenanigans. Perhaps he might bend the Council with his bare hands or even push them down the road with his nose!

One final thought. I recently spent time in Leeds city centre. The area surrounding the Leeds & Liverpool canal is being redeveloped as we speak and the whole enterprise is something of a ‘Fletton Quays on speed’. Now I’m not comparing Leeds with Peterborough, the scale is very different but there are certain local projects, in particular those funded by the Towns Fund, that are still incomplete. True, the Lincoln Road upgrade is nearing completion but we in the Civic Society are keeping a very close eye on other projects, in particular the River Nene Pedestrian Bridge joining the Embankment with Fletton Quays. Work is due to start on this ‘later this year’. We sincerely hope so – to coin a phrase from the late 1960s, ‘the whole world is watching”.

Ed. Toby has also contributed, along with many others, to a feature on this very important subject in the August edition of The Moment magazine> (follow link) which is well worth reading. It starts on page 6 and Toby's contribution is on pages 40 and 41.

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Exploring the Great Outdoors

This article was first published in the 21 August 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Exploring the Great Outdoors. Now there’s a phrase which probably conjures up a mental picture for all of us but in reality it can mean a thousand different things to a thousand different people.

When I was a youngster the Great Outdoors might be going on a weekend stay at Lilford Hall with Deacons School when I was sixteen – we went canoeing, did an overnight hike during which we saw a million glow-worms and cooked for ourselves on open camp fires. As a student I was lucky enough to camp in the vast forests of northern Michigan and enjoy rock festivals with nothing else than a sleeping bag and a girlfriend. But that was then and now is now.

So, fast-forward fifty years and my definition of the Great Outdoors has altered somewhat. My current experience of the Great Outdoors is wandering down to Central Park, walking the perimeter and ending up with a cup of coffee and a cake at Willow café (above left). Alternatively, we might stroll round Ferry Meadows or Nene Park. Whilst in Central Park we will see a wide variety of activities for both mind and body. Last week we saw an outdoor National Literacy Trust event attended by dozens of nippers with their mums. Simultaneously there were people playing tennis, football, cricket as well as more leisurely pursuits such as tai chi. It was heart-warming to see so many people interacting and enjoying Central Park. And to think that, when it opened way back in 1875, access was limited to subscribers who paid for season tickets, 15 shillings for families or 5 shillings for individuals. Older readers will remember the bandstand which used to be situated in the middle, dismantled in 1965 (see below).

Ed. Toby has written a handy booklet which he describes as an appreciation of, and introduction to Central Park, a place that he and his family have used and enjoyed over five generations. It is very comprehensive and will help appreciate all that can be found in the park. It is available for sale by clicking the book cover (right).

In 1987 Kylie Minogue sang, ‘I should be so lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky …’ and thinking about the Great Outdoors and Peterborough we are lucky, lucky to have so many open spaces. Just have a look at any aerial shots of Peterborough and you’ll be surprised how extensive the open spaces are. This is particularly relevant in the middle of August, when the weather is generally fine and the children need something to do. My youngest grandson has spent much of the summer with his mates at the Lido, doing what teenagers do - swim, splash, dive, promenade and generally ‘strut their stuff”, just like generations of PT readers have done before. Much has been written about the Lido and it remains now, and in the future, one of the city’s most identifying features. Look out for next year’s 90th birthday celebrations!

Other youngsters, and many older people, may well enjoy longer walks (follow link for walking and cycling maps of Peterborough and surrounds) or may even be tempted to get the bikes out and enjoy cycling the Green Wheel.

Many others may be a lot more sedentary. For years, when my wife and I have visited cities in mainland Europe, we have repeatedly said. ‘wouldn’t it be great if the English had an outdoor street café culture. Lo and behold – it’s happening, right here in Peterborough. Walk into Cathedral Square or along Bridge Street now and there are a multitude of places to sit quietly outside, enjoy a tea, coffee, beer, a glass of wine, sandwich, or slice of pizza whilst meeting friends for a natter, observing people wander down the street or watching the mobility scooter grand prix.

Let’s venture further away from central Peterborough. We have The Embankment, Thorpe Meadows, Itter Park, Manor Farm Park in Eye, Bretton Park, Werrington’s Cuckoos Hollow and, further out, Castor Hanglands, Barnack Hills and Holes and Burghley Park.

In conclusion, the older I get the more appreciate the simple things of life. Today we celebrate Peterborough’s Great Outdoors, what ever that means – perhaps next month’s topic may be fresh air and blue skies!

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What is The Guildhall?

This article was first published in the 18 September 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

‘Iconic’ is a word that is often overused. Winston Churchill is often cited as an iconic Englishman. If you were to think of iconic English buildings you might include Stonehenge, the Tower of London of Buckingham Palace. I asked an AI app to give me the names of iconic people born in Peterborough. The answer came back - John Clare (poet), George Alcock (astronomer), Aston Merrygold (singer), Jake Humphrey (TV presenter), Louis Smith (Olympic gymnast), Peter Boizot (entrepreneur), Andy Bell (musician), Lauren Steadman (Paralympic athlete), Robert ‘Old’ Scarlett (sexton) and Adrian Lyne (film director). Adrian Lyne - who? Well, dear reader, Mr Lyne directed the films Fatal Attraction, Flashdance and 9½ Weeks, so there! We all learn something new, including me!

Ask AI to name Peterborough buildings and you get the Cathedral, Longthorpe Tower, Thorpe Hall, St John’s Church, Wortley Almshouses, Peterscourt and the Guildhall. And it’s the Guildhall is the Peterborough icon that I would like to concentrate on here.

So, what exactly is the Guildhall. Peterbororians walk past it just about every time they visit the city centre, perhaps without knowing much about it. Ed. In addition to this article please see our Blue Plaque to The Guildhall, follow the link.

The Guildhall (or Old Guildhall or Market House as described by architectural historian Niklaus Pevsner) was built over 350 years ago, in 1671 from ‘warm local limestone’ by leading local builder and master mason John Lovin and was deliberately built facing the Cathedral gatehouse. It stands on, or close to, the site of a covered ‘Butter Cross’ and it is believed that the ‘Chamber over the Cross’ replaced an earlier timber framed Moothall and Guildhall (probably timber-framed, arcaded buildings in need of repair) standing on the northern side of the square.


Guildhall showing the railings	Guildhall with the Henry Pearson Gates memorial before its removal to Bishop's Road Gardens

It is likely that the city’s feoffees (legal owners of the land) decided to build the Guildhall as a celebration of the restoration of Charles II and it is known that the project was funded by public subscription. The building is Grade II listed and, as a place in which the Council held some of its meetings, was superseded when the Town Hall opened in 1934. Prior to that it had been restored in 1929. The upper floor of the building, which can only be accessed by a steep spiral cast iron staircase, was used for small group meetings in living memory but is now unused due to its fragile state.

The Guildhall bears a striking resemblance to the Old Town Hall in Amsterdam as depicted in the 1657 painting ‘The Oude Stadhuis in Amsterdam’ by Pieter Jansz. The picture was bought from the painter in 1658 for 300 guilders by the mayor of Amsterdam for his office in the New Town Hall. It now hangs in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.


The four faces of the Guildhall, clockwise from top left, East, West, South, North

Postcards and photographs from a hundred years ago show iron railings enclosing the Guildhall. These are now long gone and the ground floor is now open on all four sides and is occasionally used as a temporary performance space when various festivals or special events are held on Cathedral Square.

Recently the Guildhall has once again been the subject debate and discussion. The Council plan to block off the spiral staircases at the corner of the building to prevent further vandalism and damage and many of us certainly don’t like the look of the temporary fencing placed to try to deter further mutilation. Indeed Peterborough Positive, lead by Pep Cipriano, has plans to make any temporary fencing as attractive, interesting and informative as possible. Watch this space – literally!

The Civic Society urges the City Council to exploring ways to use the building again – and even to possibly enclose the lower floor again so that it might be equipped as a more permanent performance space or as a civic space e.g. tourist information centre. A possible solution would be to install a glass cube inside the building, this avoiding the need to fix anything to the fragile structure itself. Of course any improvements would be costly but surely some solution could be found and funding sought. This could be exactly the sort of project that the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough mayor, Paul Bristow, could adopt. Now is the time for positive ideas and that ‘glint in the eye’.

Whatever happens to the Guildhall in the future it remains an iconic historic building right in the heart of the city. There – that word again – iconic!

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Railways continue to play important part in Peterborough

This article was first published in the 16 October 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

In 1936 my grandparents, Harold and Ethel, moved from Morley near Leeds to Peterborough, to live in their brand-new house in Newark Avenue. Harold, hitherto a solid Labour voter, cemented his new job as a white-collar office clerk at Peterborough North railway station by demonstrating his new, improved status by voting Conservative for the rest of his life.

When I was a child, railways played a big part in my life. One of the first Christmas presents I can remember was a Hornby trainset, complete with steam locomotive, goods trucks and a guard’s van. Too many times the train was derailed as it crossed points a little too fast. I remember in the late 1950, on 31st December, train drivers would return to the 34E New England railway sheds where they blew their engine’s whistles to bring in the new year. I remember standing in my back garden at midnight hearing what sounded like dozens of steam whistles.

It’s worth remembering how important the railways were to the development of Peterborough, which was developed largely because local landowners like Lord Exeter refused railway lines being built through nearby Stamford.

A downside to the many steam locomotives here in Peterborough was the filthy smoke that emanated from the locos’ smoke stacks, polluting buildings and washing on the line. In the early 1960s we would use trains to travel on holiday to Cromer, starting from Peterborough’s East station. Very soon Dr Beeching largely destroyed the railway network but not before I spent many a long day with my friends at Sages Lane, Walton trainspotting and recording what hurtled by in my Ian Allan trainspotting books. This was an exciting time, the cusp between steam and diesel locomotives, so my teenage trainspotting years were not only filled with Mallard, Flying Scotsman, Sir Nigel Gresley and Dominion of Canada but also Deltics with names such as The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, Tulyar and The Green Howards (Ed. named after British regiments and famous race horses).

Railways continued to play an important part in Peterborough life. In 2023/24, over a million journeys were made from the city to London and, in the same period, there were nearly five million recorded entries and exits through the station. These figures were approximately 20% higher pre-Covid-19. So it’s no wonder that over £47 million has been allocated to regenerate the city’s so-called Station Quarter although it remains to be seen exactly what we get for that amount of money. Let’s hope that, at the very least, passengers receive better access to and from the station, and into the city centre.

So let’s get bang up to date. This year sees Railway 200, a celebration of two hundred years since the opening of the world’s first railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway on 27 September 1825. As part of these celebrations I took part in a poetry train on 1st October, see photo left. Local poets from Peterborough, March and Ely travelled to together from Peterborough to Ely and back, reciting poetry on the train and at Ely itself. The event attracted forty passengers who travelled from Peterborough, Whittlesea (or Whittlesey) and March. The evening event was organised by Hereward Community Rail Partnership and Fenland District Council (Peterborough City Council take note). Take a look at their excellent website - https://herewardcrp.org

One final thought. Over the past few months my wife and I have travelled by rail to north Wales, Cornwall, London and more locally. I have fallen in love with the railways again. Our next day trips might be to Norwich, Lincoln or Nottingham. Why not take a journey yourself? I’ll look out for you on the train.

Peterborough Milestones

This article was first published in the 20 November 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Imagine you lived two hundred years ago. You’re travelling from one place to another on foot or on the back of your trusty steed. You haven’t got a handy map, there’s no national system of signposts and Satnavs are light years away from invention. Thank goodness then for humble milestones, one of our least lauded heritage features.

The history of milestones in the UK traces back to Roman Britain, where 117 cylindrical stones marked every thousand paces along metalled roads, helping soldiers to gauge their journeys. The term ‘milestone’ emerged in 1746 during the turnpike era, when private trusts built 20,000 miles of toll roads, erecting cast-iron or stone markers for travellers.

Railways diminished the role of milestones by the 1840s, with counties assuming road duties in 1888. WWII saw many defaced for security, leaving fewer than 9,000 survivors today. The Milestone Society now celebrates and seeks to preserve these roadside relics, symbols of Britain’s evolving transport heritage. There are local connections to the Milestone Society. Werrington woman Sally Weald has just been appointed as Honorary Secretary of the Milestone Society and another local member Bruce Keith has written an excellent book about milestones in Scotland entitled ‘Are We Nearly There Yet?’

As the society’s website notes, ‘unlike other ‘listed buildings’, milestones are usually too small to have their own ‘Friends’. Since 2001, the Society’s volunteers have been collating information on milestones and learning the most appropriate ways of caring for these quirky lumps of rock and rusting metal sitting quietly by the wayside. The Society’s purpose is to encourage people – Highways and local authorities, parishes, civic societies, local history groups, individuals - to look after their local milestones, which are at risk from neglect, vandalism, vehicle impacts and road works.’

A year ago David Jost and Peter Sargent, two committee members of Peterborough Civic Society, decided to undertake the task of trying to locate and photograph all surviving milestones in and around Peterborough. As you might expect this was quite a challenging exercise. Both David and Peter painstakingly scoured the area and eventually discovered and logged approximately sixteen milestones and other wayside markers. Some are in good condition but others are sadly neglected and unkempt. The leaflet contains photographs of these as well as postcodes to help milestone Sherlocks find them.

You might imagine that Peterborough’s milestones are hidden away on isolated country roads but you’d be wrong! There are a couple of examples right in the city centre. On Lincoln Road, opposite what used to be the County Girls’ School is one that states ‘To Lincoln 51 miles’. This is an example of one that could do with some TLC, Peterborough City Council take note! There is also an interesting one on the western end of Peterscourt in City Road which reads ‘London 79 By Huntingdon: Thorney 7’. The Civic Society also highlights others, notably in Werrington, Orton Waterville, Castor, Ailsworth, Eye, Thorney, Wansford and Water Newton.

From December the Civic Society’s Peterborough Milestones leaflet is freely available from various locations, in particular Peterborough Museum. Alternatively it can be downloaded (follow link) via our website. In the meantime, if any reader knows of a milestone or marker that had been omitted, please let us know!

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The ordinary people of Peterborough

This article was first published in the 18 December 2025 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

This month I’m going to concentrate on a group of people so often overlooked, I’m referring to ordinary people. The word ‘ordinary’ is so often used derogatorily yet we are all so indebted to those ordinary people who quietly contribute, never get into trouble and just get on with their lives. Ordinary people do the best for their family and friends, work hard, look forward to the weekends and aren’t famous or well-known.

In short, the vast majority of people in this city are ordinary. Their/our wishes are simple – all they/we want to do is to walk out of the front door tomorrow morning and see that the world is a tiny bit better than it is today. Let’s have a think about what ordinary people might want.

Peterborough’s ordinary people want see fewer people sleeping in doorways. We want to see the children in our schools having access to good quality equipment. We want the need for food banks to decrease. We want families to be able to live in decent, affordable housing without having to worry about how to pay the bills.

Peterborough’s ordinary people want motorists to respect the rules of the road. We want car owners to stop parking their cars across pavements. We want those same car owners not to park on yellow lines. We want to see enforcement officers being more successful.

Peterborough’s ordinary people want our politicians to collaborate and co-operate as opposed to seek every opportunity to score points for personal political gain. We want to see the Hilton hotel finished and put to good use. We want to see the Towns Fund money spent wisely and projects completed within budget and on time. We want to see a vision for the city beyond just the next year or so, delivered by innovative and imaginative people with the ‘glint in the eye’.

Peterborough’s ordinary people want the city’s football team be successful. We want to see Posh avoid relegation this season and roar back strongly next. We want to end December 2026 top of the table, playing exciting free-flowing football (dream on Toby, dream on!).

Peterborough’s ordinary people want to enjoy the city even more. We want to see our residents find out a little more about the place in which they live. We want to make even more visitors to our city welcome and to stay overnight or even longer. We want to hear visitors to our city say, “well I never knew Peterborough had so much to offer. I’m going to return soon and, what’s more, I’m going to tell my friends all about it”.

Peterborough’s ordinary people want to say ‘well done and thank you’ to those who have tried their best for Peterborough in 2025. We want to say thank you to those responsible at Peterborough Positive, the Cathedral and City Council for brightening up the city centre this Christmas. We want the city centre to look clean and inviting. We want to say ‘thank you’ in advance to those organisations and individuals who, at the end of 2026, will have made a difference to our city.

We in Peterborough Civic Society would like to wish all Peterborough Telegraph readers a Happy Christmas and restful holiday period and, if you count yourself as ‘ordinary’, pat yourself on the back for all the good things you have quietly done in 2025. Well done ordinary!

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page last changed 18 December 2025