It’s no overexaggeration to say that the Peterborough we know and love today wouldn’t be the same without the arrival of thousands of Italians during the 1950s.
In the early 1950s, Britain faced immense problems with rebuilding the country after the ravages of the Second World War and desperately needed an expanded workforce.
Much of this extra manpower came from overseas, many men arriving from various parts of Italy, in particular the south.
The vast majority of those who emigrated to Peterborough from Italy were employed by the London Brick Company.
Many Italian families settled in areas such as Fletton and Woodston, just a short distance from the city’s brickyards.
In 2020, a blue plaque was erected at the London Brick Company’s former district offices to acknowledge the contribution from the city’s Italian community during the 1950s and ‘60s.
Below we’ve made a gallery of eight incredible photos of Italian workers at the London Brick Company in the 1950s and ‘60s:
1. Peterborough’s Italian brickmakers who arrived in the city during the 1950s
Italian brickmakers pictured in 1960 Photo: Peterborough Images Archive
2. Peterborough’s Italian brickmakers who arrived in the city during the 1950s
Pignatiello Pasqualle, Pignatiello Mario and Frascella Nicola pictured in 1954 Photo: Peterborough Images Archive
3. Peterborough’s Italian brickmakers who arrived in the city during the 1950s
Workers at the London Brick Company Photo: Peterborough Images Archive
4. Peterborough’s Italian brickmakers who arrived in the city during the 1950s
Brickmakers on-site in the 1950s Photo: PT