Peterborough Telegraph articles 2026

The following articles were previously submitted to Peterborough Telegraph, please click on the relevant image to read them.
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Peterborough a place to walk	Dogsthorpe walks invitation	Peterborough Murals	Happy 90th Lido	New mini-map walking tours	Promoting Peterborough Positive-ly
Looking back to 1966

Peterborough, a place to walk

This article was first published in the 15 January 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Well here we are again, yet another new year. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were celebrating the new millennium but here we are – just over a quarter of a century later. 2026 – who’d have thought it! Already the days are gradually getting longer and hopefully spring is just around the corner. Time perhaps to emerge from under the duvet to start thinking about getting out and about – and Peterborough is certainly one of the best places in which to go for a walk, to grab some much-needed fresh air, There really is no excuse.

A couple of us in the Civic Society have been working with staff from the Hereward Community Rail Partnership to devise walks in and around Peterborough city centre. Rail travel? Walking? What’s the connection I hear you ask! Well it’s quite simple. Peterborough has excellent rail connectivity with Whittlesea, March and Ely and there are many people living in these quiet, mostly fenland places who visit the city. They might come for a wander round Queensgate, a meal or drink in one of the centre’s restaurants and bars or perhaps to take in a show or film. However there are opportunities for a good walk as well. As I have written before, there are plenty of routes, both short and longer. I have taken visitors for a sightseeing walk from the railway station, taking in Cowgate, Cathedral Square, the Guildhall, Cathedral, Bridge Street, Embankment, Fletton Quays, Lido and new university area. There’s’ plenty to look at, talk and learn about. Visitors and residents alike will hear about Katharine of Aragon, Mary Queen of Scots, Walter Cornelius, Thomas Beckett, Charles Swift, Peter Boizot and James Blades (of whom more in future weeks!). For those who are unable to walk very far there is lots to see right in the middle of the city, for those who have more time, or who are more adventurous, there are routes that will lead to places further afield – Thorpe Meadows, Nene Park, Orton Meadows and Ferry Meadows. There’s also Thorpe Hall, Flag Fen.....

Just type John Clare Countryside into Google and you will enter a local world of rural walks and events. Likewise, look at the impressive new Discover Peterborough website and you will find a wealth of information about what it refers to as the Cathedral Quarter, River & Rail Quarter, Kiln Quarter, Clare Country, Middle Quarters, Old Town Quarter, Fen Edge and Nene Reaches.

But you don’t have to go far from the city centre to enjoy a decent walk. The good folk at Peterborough Positive have also developed a handy map of the city centre which features the Civic Society’s blue plaques and these are widely available, particularly at places like the Museum and Town Hall and from Peterborough Civic Society meetings.

Despite what people might think Peterborough is a very easily-walkable and green city, even right in the centre. Just look at old postcards of Peterborough and compare the same locations today. In particular Bridge Street and Long Causeway are full of mature trees that provide both variety and shade to the streetscape. Consequently there are really attractive walks in the city centre, both short and long. Even just a short stroll from Cathedral Square, into the Cathedral grounds and round the perimeter of the Cathedral is fifteen minutes well spent. Here are a selection of Toby's and postcards showing how the views have changed of Bridge Street and Long Causeway with the passage of time.

Bridge Street now	Bridge Street 1936	Cathedral Square now
Market Place - Long Causeway 1950s	Long Causeway now	Long Causeway 1905

So there we have it. Right on our doorsteps are places that we often take for granted yet provide us with interest and recreation. My challenge to you, dear reader, is just get out and about a little more than you did in 2025. You know it makes sense!

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Dogsthorpe walks invitation

This article was first published in the 19 February 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

46! Yes, forty-six! Amazing isn’t it – 46!!!! That’s the number of streets in Dogsthorpe that are named after trees, bushes, shrubs and flowers. Don’t you believe me? Well here goes – deep breath!

Acacia Avenue, Acer Road, Almond Road, Apricot Close, Ash Close, Ash Court, Ash Road, Aspen, Beechwood Close, Birchtree Avenue, Bluebell Avenue, Broom Close, Campion Road, Cherrytree Grove, Chestnut Avenue, Cottonwood Drive, Cypress Road, Damson Drive, Figtree Walk, Furze Ride, Gorse Green, Harebell Close, Hawthorne Road, Heather Avenue, Hemlock Close, Laburnum Grove, Larch Grove, Lavender Crescent, Lawn Avenue, Lilac Road, Lombardy Drive, Maple Grove, Meadow Grove, Myrtle Avenue, Myrtle Court, Myrtle Grove, Oakleaf Road, Olive Road, Palm Court, Pine Tree Close, Poplar Avenue, Primrose Close, Rowan Avenue, Spruce Grove, Sycamore Avenue and Willow Avenue.

So why is it that I’m so keen on Dogsthorpe? There are three reasons. First, Dogsthorpe is the area that I have lived in all my life (apart from a brief sojourn being born at Thorpe Hall and three years at college in Reading). Secondly, I never cease to be impressed by the Dogsthorpe estate expansive layout. Thirdly, this year marks the 80th anniversary of the Dogsthorpe estate being built. World War Two had caused housing shortages and local authorities all over the country needed ‘homes fit for heroes’. Consequently the Dogsthorpe estate was built. Since land was relatively cheap in those far-off days, the estate had a generous layout with wide grass verges, abundant green spaces, tree-lined streets and plenty of play spaces. I remember the occupants being largely employed by nearby Perkins Engines and, first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon, there was an army of cyclists riding to and from work. Even at a young age I found it ironic that people making diesel engines had to get to work on man-powered machines.

Of course Dogsthorpe itself existed as a village long begore the Dogsthorpe estate was built, there’s plenty of history online. Perhaps that’s an article for another day.

So, let’s get bang up to date. Along with photographer and artist Sandra Keating, I have been asked to be part of an exploration and celebration of Dogsthorpe’s 80th anniversary. This will also include the adjacent Welland estate, a 1960s addition to ‘greater’ Dogsthorpe. Two walks will take place in March, the month not the place!

The first walk will be a stroll around ‘old’ Dogsthorpe on Saturday 7th March and which will last around an hour, starting at 10.30am, with 30 minutes at the end for refreshments and discussion. I will be leading that walk which will begin and end at Dogsthorpe Library, Central Avenue. Participants will be asked to bring a camera or phone and take snaps with us as they wander round.

Sandra Keating’s walk around Welland on Saturday 21st March will last around an hour with 30 minutes at the end for refreshments and discussion. The walk will begin and end at Woodfield Park Community Centre (The Charteris Centre), Normanton Road, Welland. During this walk, participants will explore, observe and playfully capture the ‘urban green’ spaces of Welland. It will be a walk that is as much about promoting wellbeing and creating moments of pause to notice those pockets of nature and green as it is experimenting with photography and techniques.

Since both walks will ask people to take photographs, the two walks are to be called !!SNAP!! and, once both walks are over a booklet will be produced for distribution to all those involved. Many of the photos will hopefully also feature in an outdoor exhibition, possibly in April this year.

Who knows, once we have celebrate Dogsthorpe we may turn our minds to celebrating other, more established areas of the city – Walton Paston, Gunthorpe, Eastgate, Millfield, Woodston, Old Fletton, Werrington or Longthorpe. But let’s do one thing at a time!

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Peterborough Murals

This article was first published in the 19 March 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

A couple of Saturdays ago, thanks to the efforts of Pep Cipriano, Terri Flack, Matt Simpson and the good people at Peterborough Positive, I was part of a group that walked around the city centre to celebrate something that just a few years ago didn’t exist. I’m referring to the splendid murals that have been created by Nathan Murdoch (pictured right) and his Street Arts Hire collective – Tony Nero, Stuart Payne and others. We in the Civic Society have been very struck about how successful these murals have been. Let me explain why. Nathan‘s splendid artworks are extremely accessible but, at the same time, they are done with a huge amount of skill, local knowledge and a love for history, tradition, civic pride and relevance to today’s Peterborough. This means that the artworks appeal to everybody, from the youngest child to the oldest adult walking around the city centre; from the person who knows Peterborough inside out to the visitor who’s coming here for the first time.

As an artist and designer Nathan has depth, skill and his work is full of meaning, sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden. As part of the tour he told participants about each piece of work, its relevance and meaning, as well as the technical challenges that he and his team faced on each one. One empty brick wall isn’t always like another – they have varying textures and qualities.

What is also so pleasing is the fact that Nathan’s work not been tagged or damaged. Any imperfections have been caused by natural wear and tear. Many other cities suffer from a very high-level of vandalism but not dear old Peterborough! I would like to think it’s because people really value Nathan‘s work.

Indeed Nathan has an exhibition at Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery at the moment – it’s on until 23rd May so there’s plenty of time to visit and no excuse for you, dear reader, not to go. I guarantee you will be really thrilled with the level of design, colour, detail and expertise. The exhibition is free as is the Peterborough Positive street art map freely available from the Museum and other locations around the city centre.

Nathan has covered subjects such as Priestgate in 1908, The Beatles, Walter Cornelius, Priestgate, A Message of Hope, and even Cowgate cows, the last of which has provided inspiration for the name for a new bar that is soon to open opposite the mural in Cowgate – Tipsy Cow!

There are also other marvellous murals just off the beaten track. Hello My Beautiful People is on the junction of Cromwell Road and the Bright Street link road is a fascinating homage to Atiq Rehman, a local motivational speaker. The Stanley Rec/Park mural on the toilet block is fantastic and there’s even a huge indoor mural on the first floor of Queensgate opposite the Odeon cinema.

I could go on but, even as I write, I know that there are other projects on the horizon. Nathan is nowhere near finished, Watch this space for further murals in and around the city centre. Nathan Murdoch – starman indeed.

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Happy 90th Lido

This article was first published in the 16 April 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

On Wednesday 25th March something rather lovely happened in the House of Commons. No, nothing to do with Starmer, Badenoch, Davey, Farage or even that man from across the Pond. No, Peterborough got a mention, the Lido got a mention, the Friends of Peterborough Lido got a mention, in particular the retiring chair, Clare Marshall. It was indeed Andrew Pakes, Peterborough’s MP, who was singing the praises of swimming, keeping fit and lidos in general. His speech in Parliament was very timely since, on Saturday 28th March, Peterborough Lido opened for its 2026 season.

This year is the Lido’s 90th birthday, it officially opened by Mayor Arthur Mellows on May 28 1936 as the Corporation Swimming Pool. It was designed following a 1933 council competition won collaboratively by five local architectural firms and originally featured a 55 yard or 50.25m main pool and smaller children’s pool (together holding 388,000 gallons), sunbathing lawns, terraces and changing facilities. It still retains its ‘hacienda-style’ elements and is a fine example of art deco architecture and design.

During World War II, the Lido suffered Peterborough’s first Luftwaffe bomb hit on June 8, 1940, but was repaired and reopened after the war. It continued as a vital local amenity despite challenges, including a 1991 closure threat averted by public campaigns, newspaper support, and council interventions (including personal funding from a councillor for repairs) The Lido is recognised for its architectural significance as one of Britain’s finest surviving 1930s lidos and it gained Grade II listed status from Historic England in 1992. Now if there’s one thing I really like is enthusiasm, either from an individual or a group. It’s the people with the ‘glint in the eye’ that make all the difference and many tend to be unsung, overlooked and underappreciated. The people that run, use, help and support the Lido are shining examples of this.

Ed. See our Blue Plaque to the Lido which includes photo of the bomb damage.

A couple of months ago I met two real enthusiasts – Monica Ilett and the aforementioned Clare Marshall from the Friends of Peterborough Lido who were planning to produce a book on the history of the Lido in recognition of the facility’s 90th birthday. This 100-page book has been real labour of love and includes fascinating facts, stories, reminiscences, photographs from the Lido’s history. It is now available from the Friends website : www.friendsofpeterboroughlido.co.uk or from 16 April it will be available to buy from Peterborough Museum as part of an exhibition about the Lido. But hurry, it’s selling fast!

I was taught to swim at the Lido by Peggy Wright, a formidable swimming teacher who shouted at me to stop being a wimp and get on with it. The tactic worked perfectly – I wanted her to stop badgering me so did what I was told. Hello backstroke, goodbye armbands!!! As a teenager I loved lazing those summer days away at the Lido and, over sixty years later, grandson Toby does the same.

The Lido has many stories to tell and mention of it to longstanding Peterborians brings smiles, stories and fondness usually reserved for close friends and family members.

Special mention must be given to local legend Walter Cornelius, a Latvian strongman and lifeguard, who worked and taught at the Lido. In the meantime just look up at the Walter weathervane atop the Lido (ed. see right, depicting his attempt to fly over the River Nene) or Nathan Murdoch’s mural dedicated to him, currently situated at the back of the TKMaxx building in Bridge Street. It may soon have to be moved. Walter’s strong man feats are legendary and deserve a column of their own. One day!

See Toby’s article Famous Local People which mentions Walter Cornelius and a poem Toby wrote about him.

I shall leave the last word to words from the Friends of Peterborough Lido’s website. “There’s nothing better than swimming in sparkling water and being able to look around to see blue skies and green trees while swimming in Peterborough’s fantastic Art Deco heated open-air swimming pool.” Pure poetry!

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New mini-map walking tours of Peterborough

This article was first published in the 21 May 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

Our Society is always keen to promote our city, its people, places, history, buildings and activity. Of course we’re not the only ones. The excellent Peterborough Positive has been in the forefront of devising and developing a free city centre map and, more recently, a Street Art map showing many of brilliant murals commissioned by the organisation and installed by Nathan Murdoch, Tony Nero and the Street Art team. More about Peterborough Positive in next month’s column!

However there are even more people and organisations who are keen to promote Peterborough and what it has to offer. Recently the Civic Society’s Derek Brown and myself have been working with Joanne Rose, a Hereward Community Rail Partnership Officer, to devise walking maps for those visiting Peterborough city centre.

The HCRP is a community-based organisation that promotes rail travel within a designated region, which is funded by the train operating companies - Greater Anglia, CrossCountry, LNER and East Midland Railway along with Fenland District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.

The intention is to encourage more people from Whittlesea, March, Manea, Ely and Cambridge to increasingly use the train, especially to travel to Peterborough. (Note that the railway companies spell it Whittlesea instead of Whittlesey – I’m not sure of the difference). I’m told that historically it was spelt either Whittlesey or Whittlesea but only the station is now called Whittlesea. Hereward CRP secured the funding for this project from CrossCountry Trains Community Engagement Fund. The train operator are keen to promote Peterborough as a destination and promote local walking and cycling routes and the use of the train for integrated and sustainable journeys.

So, what are these walking maps and who are they for? The four walking maps routes range from the short, just over a mile, to quite long – nearly six miles. The shortest walk is a gentle stroll from Cathedral Square around the Cathedral precinct and back again, the longest one goes from the city centre, to the river and along the northern bank to Thorpe Meadows, Thorpe Hall and back again – a walk for those owning stout shoes!

The City Centre Heritage & Blue Plaques Walk is perhaps the most complex and rich in terms of built-environment content. Followers of the walk will be taken to look at many of the city’s iconic buildings as well as twenty-four of the Society’s blue plaques. The walk is nearly three miles long and could easily end at one of the increasing number of cafes and bars in and around Cathedral Square. Click image to right to download the map.

The City Centre Cathedral Short Walk is specifically designed for those residents and visitors who may not consider themselves walkers per se – the walk ambles around the outside of the Cathedral, taking in some of the lesser known city centre features. Believe it or not there is peace and tranquillity metres away from Cathedral Square and many of the places are completely unknown to locals yet alone visitors to the city. Click image to right to download the map.

The City Centre Green Walk is a figure-of-8 walk that encompasses places as rich as Minster Precincts, the Embankment, Bishop’s Road Gardens, Stanley Park, Broadway cemetery and Central Park. The walk is proof that there are so many green spaces and peaceful nooks and crannies within easy walking distance of the city centre. Just have a look online at an aerial view of the city and you may be amazed at the amount of green spaces Peterborough possesses. Click image to right to download the map.

The fourth walk, entitled Riverside and Meadows Walk is perhaps the most demanding, one of those walks that requires ‘sensible footwear’. The walker passes Railworld and is encouraged to notice much of the railway’s old Victorian cast iron bridges near the river itself. The walk is five and a half miles long and takes in the banks of the river Nene, Thorpe Meadows, Thorpe Hall, birthplace of many a Peterborian (including myself) when it was used as the city’s maternity unit between 1943 and 1970. The walker meanders through parkland and meadows near the river floodplain where, if you’re really lucky, you might spot a kingfisher. Occasionally the route can be adversely affected by bad weather conditions or a swollen river but there are alternatives. Common sense is needed. There’s plenty to see and it really is amazing that there is so much peace and tranquillity just a few hundred metres from the busy city centre. Click image to right to download the map.

Peterborough city centre gets its fair share of criticism, some occasionally justified but much as a result of some long-held and unjustified prejudices. These new maps, along with other material that has been recently produced goes a long way to dispelling the ‘there’s nothing to do here’ myth. We in the Civic Society will continue to walk round the city centre, stop, look up, down and around and take photographs to help promote the city. If you ever see one of us wandering through the city centre doing just that, please feel free to tap us on the shoulder and have a chat!

The four HCRP/Civic Society maps are available for free, from the Town Hall Tourist Information Office, Peterborough Museum, Cathedral or the railway station. Alternatively you can download any of the maps from the Peterborough Civic Society (follow image links above right or click here) or HCRP website or the Walking and Cycling section of the HCRP website. Happy walking!

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Promoting Peterborough Positive-ly

This article was first published in the 18 June 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

As many of you know, Peterborough Civic Society has erected a number of blue plaques in and around the city centre. In fact there are 36 in all and we have been planning to extend the scheme and increase the number by perhaps another dozen or so. We have already celebrated a wide variety of local buildings and celebrities – there are more to come. Ed. For our current Blue Plaques and first generation plaques click image to right.

Now blue plaques don’t grow on trees – they are manufactured to a very high standard by hand in Derbyshire. As well as the plaques themselves the Civic Society also produced a 24-page booklet to accompany them. We have been determined that his booklet should be free for visitors, both local and national, so that each plaque can be explained further. When the new plaques have been finally decided and ordered then we will produce a revised, updated and expanded version of the booklet, likely to be 36 pages. More details in the months to come so watch this space/column!

Although the Civic Society raises funds to make the blue plaque project happen, we are also very grateful for financial assistance from other sources, in particular the National Lottery Heritage Fund and our very own Peterborough Positive. This is a city centre BID (Business Improvement District) organisation that represents more than 350 local business and organisations and which focusses on delivering a business plan to improve the overall visitor experience in the city centre. It aims to help make the city centre a cleaner, safer and more welcoming place. Peterborough Positive has been responsible for a wide range of initiatives in the city centre, including commissioning some of Nathan Murdoch and Tony Nero’s excellent murals, providing planters, producing maps and signs for visitors and sponsoring and organising events to bring new life to the city centre. It provides city centre ambassadors to help with safety, cleanliness and visitor support and work with other people – Police and city council environment officers – to keep the city centre attractive, vibrant and safe. Crucially Peterborough Positive promotes the city, including collaborating with businesses, working with stakeholders such as the Peterborough Tourism Board and the city council on marketing and development and coordinating information to promote Peterborough and encourage visitors. Indeed, when our blue plaques are launched, the accompanying booklet will display the Peterborough Positive logo as a valued partner.

You may have seen Chief Operating Officer Pep Cipriano and his colleagues Terri Flack, Matt Simpson, Emma Lilley and Olivia Gough in and around the centre. They have a very high profile and are often seen popping in and out of shops and businesses, gauging opinion, disseminating information and, perhaps most importantly, promoting what the city has to offer to both residents and visitors alike.

Special thanks must also go to those city centre businesses, both large and small, that are doing their bit to promote Peterborough. Businesses are not just there to make money and sell goods and services. Peterborough’s businesses clearly realise that they are part of a wider community and are interdependent. As consumers, none of us ‘pop into town’ for just one thing. We’ll visit, and spend money, in a variety of shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs and entertainment venues.

Much has already happened to promote Peterborough and the reasons for visiting the city centre are many and varied. It would be unfair of me to single out individual businesses but it is clear that many of them are really trying hard. Just look at what interesting, quirky and often unique items that we can now buy in some of these shops. Just sample some of the new drinks that can be bought in the increasing number of outlets. Just look at the number of places there are now, particularly in Cathedral Square, Bridge Street and Long Causeway, where we can sit outside, have a meal, drink and watch the world go by.

Older residents might reminisce about the city centre with rose-coloured glasses. For example, look at old photographs of the Market, now Cathedral, Square. It might look busy but, take it from me, it ain’t pretty. Just look at the tatty stalls, grimy buildings and smelly traffic. No wonder I had asthma when I was a child. The hoary old chestnuts of “it was better in the old days” and “we don’t have John Lewis any more” are gradually being replaced with “but we do have a thriving city centre, there’s lots going on – honest!”

Peterborough people can often be very straightforward – they don’t believe in complicated concepts or highfaluting theories – as so it is with our city centre. In the past week three people have expressed similar views to me by saying a simple phrase – “Peterborough is on the way up”.

There lots to be positive about in Peterborough and Peterborough Positive itself is leading the way, flying the flag and forging forward. Once more we can safely say that “Peterborough is on the way up …!”

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Looking back to 1966

This article was first published in the 16 July 2026 edition of the Peterborough Telegraph. It was written by committee member Toby Wood.

It’s the 30th July 1966, two days before my 15th birthday. I am a stringy, gawky, gangly 14-year-old not quite sure what he wants from the world. But the one thing I do know is I quite like football – especially England football. And it just happens that on this particular day England are playing a really important match. The final of the World Cup at Wembley. Ed. photos from the era with thanks to Peterborough Images Archive.

I would’ve quite liked to watch the World Cup final with my dad, but I didn’t. My dad, a lifelong rugby player and oval ball fan, knew that, on this particular Saturday, the city centre would be virtually empty. So my mother and he decided to go down to town and do some shopping while it was nice and quiet.

My brother Simon was 11 years old and my sister Sarah 8. Neither they nor I can remember if they went to town or stayed at home – but I do remember that I watched the World Cup final in the front room on my own.

I was a ‘good boy’, attended Deacon’s Grammar School for Boys, did my homework, was forced to play rugby (and hated it) and was a closet football fan, favourite players being the ageing Johnny Haynes, Bobby Charlton and the rough and ready Nobby Stiles.

I had been to a few Posh matches, the first being a 4-3 FA Cup 1st round victory against the mighty Shrewsbury Town in November 1969 but I was yet to be a regular attender. It was special to see football on telly, usually it was only FA Cup finals and certain international matches and BBC’s Match of the Day was in its infancy.

So, in 1966, what would’ve been so attractive about popping to town on Saturday for my parents and missing the World Cup Final? My father may well have gone into R.J. Glass (draper, milliner) to look for a new Harris tweed jacket or tie. Since he was a smoker he may have visited Finlay’s for a packet of cigarettes or some pipe tobacco and perhaps had a look in Hepworths (see right - later to become Next), Gallyon’s (gunmakers and sports equipment) although I’m not sure why.

One of my dad’s favourite shops was Ellis Bell gents’ outfitters in Westgate, close to Shrives chemist and The Bull hotel. Outside they had mirrored reflective glass which you could look into and see a thousand versions of yourself – Peterborough’s very own hall of mirrors!

My mother may have tempted him to have a wander round the Market (see right) on Cathedral Square and would have certainly insisted on going to Marks & Spencer for a look. They would almost certainly have looked inside Shelton’s department store on Broadway and possibly followed that up with trips to Woolworth’s, Boots, Mac Fisheries, Campkins Cameras, Cine and Record shop or possibly the Co-op in Park Road.

My father wouldn’t have been seen dead in the supermarket opened by someone like Frank Brierley. Indeed, in July 1966, Mr Brierley’s cut-price emporium had only been open for a couple of months. It was the talk of the town but my father was extremely sceptical about its legitimacy. Over the next few years I bought few random, and perhaps downright peculiar items, including a pair of bright green fire-damaged loon pants, a vinyl album of the soundtrack to Mel Brooks’ film The Producers, marked as ‘non-foods’ and a pack of Dutch lager, the type of which I had not seen before or since but which might just have fitted into the hold-all of a sailor from a timber boat docked at Wisbech.

Anyway, in 1966 I was at the in-between stage – I was no longer interested in toys from Fairways or Airfix models from Oliver Carley’s. I would have to wait a year or so before I hung around with the cool guys at Purdys, bought check hipsters from Harry Fentons or became infatuated with the girl from Shelton’s record department.

Of course my parents could have gone into a pub in the city centre. There were plenty including the Greyhound (Cathedral Square/Market Place), Bell & Oak (also in Cathedral Square/Market Place - see right), the Bull & Dolphin (Bridge Street), Swan (Midgate, near Long Causeway junction), Black Boy & Trumpet (Long Causeway), Six Bells (Westgate) or even the legendary Still just next to the Westgate Arcade, complete with men-only bar and city centre beer garden. However my slightly snooty parents were far more likely to drive out to a country pub with a garden for the kids – Fox & Hounds, White Hart at Ufford, Golden Pheasant at Etton, Fitzwilliam Arms at Castor or, on special occasions, the Haycock at Wansford.

Since both my parents are long gone, I will never know precisely which shops they visited on that July 1966 Saturday afternoon. However I do remember them coming back into the house and my dad asking, “Toby, is it over yet?” “No dad”, I replied, “it’s gone to extra time”.

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