Looking Back: Peterborough and The Flying Scotsman

What goes around, comes around and even in the world of news that's true... or, to put it another way, nothing ever changes.
The Flying Scotsman visting the city in 1983The Flying Scotsman visting the city in 1983
The Flying Scotsman visting the city in 1983

This week’s pictures will have echoes for people who have been reading the news in the PT over the last few weeks.

The Flying Scotsman was making headlines with crowds flocking to see the restored steam engine as it passed through Peterborough. The black and white shot was taken in 1983 and the engine attracted crowds back then. In the inset picture pop producer and well known railway buff Pete Waterman is giving the train a spruce up at Nene Valley Railway.

Waterman jointly owned the Flying Scotsman for a while.

Pete Waterman sprucing up The Flying Scotsman at Nene Valley RailwayPete Waterman sprucing up The Flying Scotsman at Nene Valley Railway
Pete Waterman sprucing up The Flying Scotsman at Nene Valley Railway
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The mayor’s car has been the subject of some controversy recently with a new leased Jaguar on order for Peterborough’s first citizen.

The picture of a youthful Cllr Charles Swift shows the then mayor’s car with the famous and valuable number plate EG1 which remains to this day.

The picture was probably taken in 1961/1962 when Cllr Swift did his first term as mayor.

Does anyone know the make of the car back then?

Cllr Charles Swift in 1961/2 with the mayor's car complete with the EG1 number plateCllr Charles Swift in 1961/2 with the mayor's car complete with the EG1 number plate
Cllr Charles Swift in 1961/2 with the mayor's car complete with the EG1 number plate

The last picture shows the lucky ladies who worked at the Anglia Regional Co-op store in Southfields Drive, Stanground celebrating their big lottery win.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was nowhere near as big a win as that of the Deepings couple who won £32 million recently but nonetheless the women looked very happy after scooping £47,000 each in January 1998.

From the archives

A look back at stories from the Peterborough Telegraph archives – some sad, some happy, some serious, some funny

Staff at the Co-op store in Stanground celebrate a lottery win back in 1998Staff at the Co-op store in Stanground celebrate a lottery win back in 1998
Staff at the Co-op store in Stanground celebrate a lottery win back in 1998

The humble spud is dear to most of our hearts but it is not often the subject of an “ET Page Three News Special’’.

But it was on Friday, February 11, 1977 in a piece headlined “Don’t you be caught out by the potato pirates’’ and penned by farm editor W.A. James.

Perhaps it was a slow news day!

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He began his story: “Beware the bagged potato... this is a realistic piece of advice based on the experience of many housewives whohave been duped in what has become a very subtle racket in these days of the ‘gold standard’ spud.’’

Aerial view: This picture is undated but was possibly taken in the late 1970s. It shows Peterborough athletics track but the neighbouring Regional Pool had not yet been built. The building in the upper left part of the picture is The Wirrina which was  home to many leisure events and clubs.Aerial view: This picture is undated but was possibly taken in the late 1970s. It shows Peterborough athletics track but the neighbouring Regional Pool had not yet been built. The building in the upper left part of the picture is The Wirrina which was  home to many leisure events and clubs.
Aerial view: This picture is undated but was possibly taken in the late 1970s. It shows Peterborough athletics track but the neighbouring Regional Pool had not yet been built. The building in the upper left part of the picture is The Wirrina which was home to many leisure events and clubs.

Mr James was warning us all of the practice of some unscrupulous retailers of selling large 56lb bags at a cheap price only for the consumer or “housewife’’ as they were known then to discover that half of them were not fit to eat.

He worked up ahead of steam adding: “I have been personally involved in two examples of the pernicious trading in sub-standard potatoes.’’

He even roped in Mrs James adding: “Not being as technically knowledgeable about potatoes as myself, my wife nevertheless assessed the quality of the offerings in one word ‘rubbish’.’’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I guess times were different in those days, a fact underlined by an advert for the Odeon cinema in the same edition of the newspaper.

One of the films showing was called Sexier ThanSex, which you’ll be relieved to know had an X-rated certificate!