Opinion: ‘Peterborough has sadly lost a favourite son’

One of the saddest parts of my job is getting a message that someone in Peterborough has died.

This often happens when they had contributed in some way to the civic life of our city and, for that reason, the person tends to be someone I knew, and perhaps knew well.

Even when it follows a long and happy life, I still feel the loss. We all do. Yet the news hits harder still when it involves a friend.

Last week, while I was preparing to travel to Bangladesh, these things combined.

Randhir Singh Wahiwala was respected across Peterborough and a true leader.

He was also my friend and a brilliant source of advice.

Many in Peterborough know the Wahiwala name. The whole family is involved in local business and charity endeavours, but these all began with Randhir Singh Wahiwala.

On the corner of Cromwell Road and Cobden Street, there is a building with surprisingly ornate railings.

It was a house he owned, or rather, it was a house until 1974. In an act of extraordinary, characteristic generosity, he donated it without charge to the Sangat formed by the local Sikh community.

Although there were many Sikhs living in Peterborough by the early 1970s, they had no place of worship. The house became the city’s first Gurdwara, later extended by the purchase of the neighbouring property.

The Gurdwara Sahib remained there for 30 years. As the local Sikh community expanded, so did the prayer hall and langar hall.

Eventually, the site became impractical and prompted the move to the purpose-built temple in Fengate.

Without Randhir Singh Wahiwala, none of this would have happened. And if you have only known Peterborough since 2004, the next time you’re on Cromwell Road, those ornate railings should now make more sense.

But the railings are far from his only legacy in Millfield.

He also set up a shop on Cromwell Road, selling furniture, electricals, clothes and jewellery. Over the years, he must have served and helped thousands of people from Peterborough, who would have discovered the same qualities in him as I did.

I first met him 2018, when I was the Conservative parliamentary candidate. He was kind, cared for Peterborough and was always willing to offer a wise word.

He was close friends with Cllr Gul Nawaz, who always had plenty of stories about him, and his own father.

I remember going to his house, his hospitality and generosity.

The way his children and extended family looked up to him was a source of inspiration for me and reminds me of my late father, who died in April 2020 after seeing me elected as our MP a few months before.

He was also a committed Conservative and his support for the party never waivered.

Past MPs, including the late Sir Brian Mawhinney, would have received the same counsel and support I always have.

I sincerely hope that his legacy of kindness and love for Peterborough lives on. I know his children will be already looking for ways to ensure that people are reminded of him and his work.

Talking to them, I am told only now they are finding out about groups and causes he supported financially. Things he never told others.

These acts knew no boundaries of race or faith. Whether it was the Italian community living in central Peterborough, or local causes championed by Muslim, Hindu or Christian leaders, all will have found him generous with his time and money.

He personified the ‘one City’ message, well before I came along and started talking about it.

Peterborough has lost one of its favourite sons. But we won’t forget him.