We need more big name concerts

Watford fans don't normally get a standing ovation from Posh supporters at the Abax stadium but that's almost certainly what a certain Reg Dwight aka Elton John will be getting next summer.
Thornton on Thursday column with Peterborough Telegraph's deputy editor Nigel Thornton - peterboroughtoday.co.ukThornton on Thursday column with Peterborough Telegraph's deputy editor Nigel Thornton - peterboroughtoday.co.uk
Thornton on Thursday column with Peterborough Telegraph's deputy editor Nigel Thornton - peterboroughtoday.co.uk

The announcement that the piano playing national treasure is to play a Peterborough concert on Sunday, June 11 created some excitement, and a lot of distinctly average song title puns.

I quite liked Upon This Crocodile Rock combining one of Elton’s biggest hits and Posh’s motto.

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Other songs we’re expecting are I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues in homage to the Posh’s colours, Goodbye London Road and in tribute to owner Darragh MacAnthony’s bankrolling of the club we all want a rousing rendition of Sacrifice.

It’s just a shame Posh sold diminutive playmaker Erhun Oztumer as Tiny Dancer could have been dedicated to him.

Bad puns aside I’m delighted Sir Elton is heading here as he remains one of the biggest pop acts around.

I’m not one of Elton’s biggest fans and I personally wouldn’t cross the road to see Bryan Adams who was this year’s big name to play Peterborough, but the city desperately needs concerts with this calibre of acts.

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Hopefully the Abax stadium could become a regular venue for this type of concert albeit for only a couple of months each year.

The city council despite its constant harping on about the city’s exciting growth agenda appears either unwilling or unable to provide or promote a decent sized concert venue.

This city deserves better than one token big name concert a year.

Imagine the pictures I could use in this column if Beyonce or Britney came. Not that I’ve got anything against follicly challenged middle aged men.

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And what about if Pink Floyd reformed? David Gilmour’s from Cambridge so maybe he supports his home town football team.

Imagine that, a Cambridge United fan getting a standing ovation in Peterborough.

Fruit basket

One of the things I love about my job is its predictably unpredictable.

For instance I never thought I would get to write the headline KNIFEMAN OVERDOSED ON KIWI FRUIT.

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And what’s more I’m almost certainly the first person in the history of the world to have done so (my as yet non-existent grandchildren are already stifling yawns at grandad’s ‘war stories’.).

Last week’s front page story was a remarkable one and prompted our office wag to demand a change in our drugs laws to include Class A, Class B and Class Vitamin C.

Cost control?

Two companies which previously ran Jimmy’s restaurant in Peterbrough owe the city council – ie you and me – £95,000. Why on earth did the city council let the debts get so large?

Taking its toll

I headed darn sarf for a wedding at the weekend and used the Dartford crossing/tunnel for the first time in ages. There are no toll booths any more it’s all done on the internet (you can pay at selected shops but you have to go online to find out which ones!). You get until midnight the day after your crossing to cough up or otherwise you are hit with a £70 fine. Good to see our Government (“they work for you’’) is acting like cowboy parking clampers.

Budget blunder

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Peterborough City Council may well claim the £6million overspend on the Fletton Parkway roadworks was “unavoidable’’ but one thing’s for sure if every key project the council was involved in went over budget so spectacularly it would no longer be ‘cash strapped’ it would be bust.

Dash cam drama

Head to our website and take a look at the dash cam video of the Werrington bus crash featured on page 4 & 5 today. Then tell me how can it be right that the punishment is equivalent to a couple of parking tickets.

Diary Of A Bad Dad

One of my many nicknames for Toddlernator the Terrible is muntjac - because he’s a solid little unit and as cute as a button.

Imagine my shock when I came across a headline on a national website which read “Menace of the Bambi thugs: Yes, they look heart-meltingly cute. But behind the doe eyes, muntjac deer are a breeding and garden-destroying machine - and now they’re even killing people’’.

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Actually it kind of fits apart from the breeding bit and the killing people – although battering his ‘sis’ over the head with his plastic guitar left him facing a GBH charge in the court of mum and dad.

He’s cute, he’s got the eyes and he’s a garden (and more worringly home) destroying machine.

I left him alone in the lounge for a minute and he caused such mayhem that if it hadn’t been for the fact the telly was still there, I’d have sworn we’d had burglars.

Oh deer!