Peterborough SHOULD be named UK Capital of Culture

A long list of people commented on our posts asking ‘is it April 1st?’ while one person wrote ‘last place guaranteed.’

Nobody would ever claim Peterborough is perfect – but while it does have its faults, can anyone name a city, anywhere in the world, that is perfect?

We in our little corner of the east of England have an awful lot to be proud of – and if there is one thing we could be accused of is not shouting about the great things that we do have to anyone and everyone.

This is not a full list of what we have here – let us know what we have missed!

This weekend we had the wonderful Katharine of Aragon Festival, with a wide range of activities taking place at our stunning Cathedral.

Next week the spectacular Helios arrives at the Cathedral, bringing another wonder to our city.

Last week people from all faiths came together for the Holocaust Memorial Service, with a range of drama and music performances from talented children on show.

We have festivals celebrating a range of cultures and communities – from the Italian Festival to Peterborough Pride.

And who can forget the Peterborough Beer Festival – one of the biggest beer festivals in the country.

The street art scene in Peterborough is a real highpoint, with artists like Nathan Murdoch, Tony Nero and Stuart Payne bringing colour and vibrancy to the city centre.

We challenge anyone to name a city with a bigger variety of history – and pre-history – as we have here in Peterborough. From incredible fossils dating back to when dinosaurs ruled the world, through Peterborough’s world famous Bronze Age discoveries – through the Romans, and of course the Tudors with Katharine of Aragon – all the way up to the modern social history that includes the immigration of a range of cultures to our shores.

Peterborough has three theatres, bringing some of the biggest names in UK entertainment to our city every month.

In Nene Valley Railway and Railworld, we have two magnificent attractions right in the city centre.

Peterborough Museum is another amazing attraction – last year’s Doctor Who festival saw people come from across the country to see unique exhibitions. Flag Fen is the home of some of those amazing Bronze Age discoveries.

Our majestic Lido celebrates its 90th anniversary this year – and really is a jewel in Peterborough’s crown.

Peterborough’s green spaces – which regularly host festivals and events – really are stunning. Ferry Meadows is one of the finest parks in the east of the country, and in Central Park we have another hidden gem.

Not many city’s have a poet laureate – but Peterborough does, celebrating all that is good about the city. Our poetry past is also famous nationwide, with ‘The Peasant Poet’ John Clare making his home here.

Of course we also have great sport in our city – with Peterborough United and Peterborough Phantoms bringing success and trophies in recent years. The Great Eastern Run – and the Anna’s Hope Fun Run – are spectacular events that see thousands of people taking part.

If you wanted to stretch the boundary of Peterborough a couple of miles, we also have, of course, the unique Whittlesea Straw Bear Festival right in our doorstep.

Most importantly, Peterborough is home to a huge number of different communities, from a huge number of nations – and for the most part, everyone gets on to make the city the very best it can be.

Yes, we have lost some of our venues in recent years – the Showground is a major loss – but for a city our size, we have lots to shout about. We at The Peterborough Telegraph would urge the whole city to back the bid to make Peterborough UK City of Culture 2029 – and lets bring some much needed positivity to our streets!