Civic Pride: There is plenty that deserves praise in the city

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 13 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 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.

•On March 10, the Civic Society will hold a special lecture at the lecture hall at ARU Peterborough in Bishop’s Road. The speaker is Dr Rob Larter and his subject is ‘The West Antarctic Ice Sheet and its implications for the East of England’.

Dr Larter is a British marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey and was awarded the Polar Medal in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List. He has worked with the British Antarctic Survey since 1987 and has participated in 23 Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research cruises, 12 of which have been on the RRS James Clark Ross.

The lecture costs £10.00 per person, which includes refreshments. E-tickets are available via the Civic Society website and no physical tickets are available on the night.

It should be an excellent evening and is further evidence of the Civic Society’s aim to work closely with the city’s new academic institutions.