Raised beds can be made easily and cheaply from timber planks. Lay the planks in position then screw them together using at least three screws per corner. Attaching the planks to corner stakes driven into the ground will make the bed even more secure

.

It may be easier to make your raised bed elsewhere before lifting it into position – an extra pair of hands will help here! Cover the base of the bed with cardboard to suppress any annual weeds or if laying it directly on top of a lawn.

With the bed in place it’s now time to fill it with your choice of growing medium. Use a mix of quality topsoil and compost for best results; this will offer both root support and a ready supply of nutrients. Leave to settle for a week before sowing or planting.

CHANCES ARE THAT even if you’re not a passionate gardener you may well have heard people talking about raised beds. Raised beds are simply growing beds that are raised above the general ground level. How far they are raised depends very much on what you are growing in them. The question, of course, is why go to all the bother of making a raised bed when most plants have been growing quite happily at ground level for millions of years?

Raised bed gardening has taken the horticultural world by storm as many of us have fallen in love with growing some of our own vegetables. Raised beds offer distinct advantages over traditional methods of kitchen gardening, allowing easier management, better soil conditions and an ordered approach to this sometimes chaotic hobby.

Order, order!

Late winter into early spring is the perfect time of year to set up a raised bed for the growing season ahead. Perhaps the biggest advantage to raised beds is their ability to compartmentalise the various vegetable groups. This allows for tailored crop management and the rotation of different crop groups to prevent any build up of pests and diseases while encouraging the optimum use of soil nutrients. Their generally compact and precise size also enables a sprawling plot to be broken down into more manageable sections.

You can make your own bed from recycled wood

Of course, not all of us have the luxury of a large garden. But even in bijoux spaces a raised bed will create the perfect, self-contained productive area. For example, a bed that’s just one metre square would give more than enough room to grow some of your own salad or stir-fry leaves, saving a pretty penny on those over-priced supermarket bags. Whenever I am asked where those new to vegetable growing should begin I always reply salads. More than any other crop salads provide the perfect home-grower’s delight, being very quick to grow, easy to look after and saving on the grocery budget; raised beds are the best way to grow them.

Optimum conditions

Raised beds don’t just look smart, they also have distinct advantages for the crops growing in them. Soil that is raised above ground level will drain better, a valuable quality during wet periods and one that ensures they warm up earlier than the surrounding ground at the start of the growing season. This can also be helpful in gardens lumbered with heavy clay, where the added drainage will open up the list of vegetables that will happily grow on such a plot.

The elevated growing position allows an early start for crops

Most raised beds will be of a size that they can be sown, tended and harvested from the sides. This means a maximum width of around 1.2m, so you are never more than a 60cm (or two foot) reach to the centre of the bed. The advantage of this is that the soil in the bed need never be trod on, ensuring an open structure is maintained; crop roots will have a far healthier environment into which to spread.

The organic matter that you add to your beds will be concentrated exactly where it is needed – none of it needs to be wasted on paths or redundant spaces, as would be the case on a traditional plot. And because the beds are raised, it’s easier on your back too, as there’s less stooping!

How to make one

Raised beds come in literally all shapes, sizes and heights. Opt for a minimum height of about 15cm for a bed that will grow salad leaves and shallow-rooted crops. Beds with a height of 30cm will be good for just about any other crop, including root vegetables such as parsnips, while a minimum height of 45cm will be needed for deeper-rooting potatoes. Potatoes are perhaps best grown separately in open ground or special potato growing sacks.

You can make your own raised bed quite easily. All you will need is four planks of new or recycled wood, cut to the desired dimensions of your bed. Screw these together, or screw them to corner posts (these will be hammered into the ground) for added stability. A bed of around 1x1m would be a good starting size, with perhaps a maximum length of 2m to allow you to get around the bed with ease. You could also make a temporary bed using old bricks, laid three or four courses high in a stretcher-bond pattern. This can easily be dismantled at the end of the growing season or if you simply want a change of shape.

Of course, you don’t have to be a DIY expert to set up a raised bed. Several purpose-sold kits make this setup process a doddle. Some of the most popular kits feature plastic walls that are slotted together using dowels – nothing more complicated than large-scale Lego!

Raised beds are ideal for quick-growing salads and stir-fry veg

Before you put into place any raised bed it is essential to clear the ground of weeds, taking great care to dig up all traces of roots from more vigorous perennial weeds. With the ground cleared it may be worth covering the base of the bed area with cardboard, which will suppress any further weed growth while allowing free drainage through it. Don’t worry about this layer of cardboard – it will rot down within a few months (just long enough to exhaust and kill off any remaining weeds).

It isn’t necessary to have a perfectly level bed but it does help for neatness and even drainage. Bank up and excavate soil as necessary and use a spirit level if you want to be really precise. With all crop maintenance taking place from outside of the raised bed, the ground surrounding your bed can be laid to paths. Mown grass paths look attractive, while a frame of weed-suppressing membrane topped with bark chippings will offer an immediate and low-maintenance finish.

Coming to life

With your bed set up, it’s time for the fun part – filling it and growing in it! For most vegetables a simple 50:50 mix of quality topsoil and multipurpose compost will do the trick. The compost will add fertility, while the topsoil offers substance and support for the roots. If the soil below is very heavy (slow-draining clay) then consider adding a few handfuls of grit to the mix to further improve drainage. Many garden centres offer multi-buy discounts on compost, so it needn’t cost the earth to fill your bed/s. One plea, however, is to avoid compost containing peat, which destroys valuable wildlife habitat and contributes to climate change through the release of carbon dioxide. As gardeners we want our impacts to be positive, both for us, our garden wildlife and the wider environment.

A bed of salad just two weeks after sowing

The only decision now is what to grow in your raised bed. Opt for quick-growing vegetables if you are new to growing your own. Salad and stir-fry leaves are ideal, as are radishes, shallow-rooting carrots, spinach and other tasty, compact delights (see ‘10 raised bed crops’ below). Bear in mind the final height that each vegetable will grow to; to avoid overshadowing always put taller crops to the north side of the bed. Avoid anything that is too vigorous and runs the risk of smothering neighbours – a compact raised bed is no place for rambunctious bullies!

Make maximum use of space by intercropping slower-growing crops such as shallots with speedy fellows like radishes. The latter will be long gone before the extra space is needed. As many of the recommended crops are so quick to grow you will want to maintain momentum and, hence, keep harvests coming by sowing a new line of crop as soon as another is finished. Remember that bare ground is a wasted opportunity, so repeat sow as opportunities present themselves.

General care

Always sow according to seed packet instructions. In most cases it is better to sow quite thinly (sparsely) because most seeds are likely to germinate. Once the seedlings have popped up you can remove excess seedlings to leave the correct space between each plant – again, let the seed packet instructions be your guide.

Keep your bed weed-free by regularly picking out any rogue seedlings. These should be easily recognisable because they will be growing outside of the neat rows of vegetable seedlings and will look quite different. Weeding shouldn’t take too long – pick over the bed every time you inspect it and they will never get a chance to dominate. Water your raised bed in dry weather and particularly while plants are still young. Raised beds are likely to need more water than the surrounding ground owing to their free-draining nature.

Thin out germinated seedlings to their final spacings

With surprisingly minimal effort a raised bed set up now will keep you in fresh produce all summer long. You could be enjoying your first cut of home-grown leaves as soon as April. And once you’ve discovered the delight of produce fresh from your garden you will be hooked!

 KING KOOL

SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT

THE PSYCH-O-BOMBS

Watch them kick out the jams at The Voodoo Lounge.

This promises to be an evening of sexy garageband punk’n'roll: miss it at your peril!

£5 on the door.

http://www.facebook.com/events/211401002285884/

ASK any builder:

Would you use inferior materials, having less than you need, to construct a quality home?

The answer would be . . .

of course not!

 

Common sense would tell you that you can’t grow a healthy baby with poor nutrition and less-than-enough food. It is important to get as many of the nutrients you need through whole foods rather than depend upon nutritional supplements. Vitamins, omegas, teas and herbs, and other forms of supplements are also excellent but do not take the place of good, whole foods to nourish mother and baby.

My basic daily nutrition checklist

• Protein (3-5 servings)
  Try: poultry, beef, lamb, nuts, peanut butter, beans, low mercury fish and seafood organic or free range eggs

• Iron (3 servings)
  Try: beef, duck, sardines, spinach, dried fruit, beans, soy products, pumpkin seeds, barley, oat bran

• Veggies and fruits (1-2 servings)
  Try: green bean, zucchini, mushroom, corn, potato, apple, pear, banana, cherry, blueberry, avocado

• Fats (roughly 4 servings)
  Try: nut butter (avoid if you have a nut allergy), avocado, sour cream, cream cheese, cream, salad dressing, oil, butter, mayonnaise iron supplementation

• Fluids (at least 8 servings of 8 ounces)
  Try: water, pregnancy tea (nettle, dandelion tea, coriander leaves) excellent iron supplementation, freshly squeezed vegetable juices, lemon in your water!

 Added vitamins and supplements

• Omega 3 fatty acids, 1000mg

• Antenatal support (multi vitamin for pregnancy)

• Vitamin C 1000mg

Calories

Adequate calorie intake is vital to a healthy pregnancy. Since calories are utilised solely for energy needs, their intake must be adequate to meet the extra metabolic demands of pregnancy. If calories are insufficient, the body will burn available protein for energy instead. This takes away important nutrients that are essential for fetal growth.

A pregnant woman should consume about 300 extra calories over a non-pregnant woman. Our total daily calories should be somewhere in the range of 2,500 calories/day depending on our pre-pregnancy weight and activity level. This should be assessed with your doctor or midwife. A simple food journal for several days can tell you where you need to add or cut calories.

Shal Paper | former British Body Fitness Champion

Shal Paper is the former British Body Fitness Championand has competed at the highest level in professional body fitness.

As is the current trend, the X-S1 mixes SLR-like features with a compact-like build.

The zoom lens extends like [insert gag as appropriate] and, employing Fujifilm’s Intelligent Zoom feature, the focal range is magically doubled to an eye-watering 52x digital zoom. So, that’s detailed shots of Wayne Rooney from Old Trafford’s ‘stratosphere seats’ taken care of, what about prettier subjects such as flowers? Well, the macro mode isn’t bad either – Super Macro allows you to get as close as 1cm.

The X-S1 has a 12-megapixel EXR CMOS sensor, which lets in lots of light – good for these dusk evenings, while the 3-inch LCD tilts to allow you comfortable views of uncomfortable angles. A 0.47-inch viewfinder is also at hand for traditionalists. Switch to video mode this camera will take full HD footage at 30fps – perfect for HD TV playback.

Other features include four auto bracketing options, eight film simulation and white balance functions. You can also shoot in the RAW file format and print out your shots in silly sizes. Those new to photography, ignore the last paragraph and switch to Auto EXR mode – it’ll take care of all the adjustments leaving you to point and click.

Build quality is solid and the price tag is sensible for a camera of such magnitude.

Price: £700 www.fujifilm.co.uk

The focal range is magically doubled to an eye-watering 52x digital zoom.

Switch to video mode this camera will take full HD footage at 30fps.

THIS IS THE STORY of Medeshamstede. But if that doesn’t ring a bell, don’t worry. Despite the fact that many of you reading this actually live there, and even those who don’t will probably have visited it in the last month or so, you’d have to go back over a thousand years to find the name in common usage.

For Medeshamstede was what Peterborough used to be known as. It changed around the time of the Norman Conquest to become Burgh, or Burgh St Peter which then evolved into Peterborough by the end of the Middle Ages. But, for any Romans using Ermine Street – still largely in use today as the A1 and A14 – during the second to fourth centuries, Durobrivae would have been the town they looked forward to as a rest-stop when they reached this part of the country. In the many millennia since people first settled on the spot, the location eventually to become known as Peterborough has had several different titles. So how did it metamorphose to become the large, vibrant and diverse city it is today?

The site must have made an attractive prospect to any early humans seeking a permanent home. By the side of the Nene, at the point where dry land submitted to the marshy Fens, it was a fertile place blessed with natural abundant food and building resources. The first person to chronicle the history of Peterborough, the Benedictine monk Hugh Candidus, wrote during the 12th century that it was

built in a fair spot, and a goodly, because on the one side it is rich in fenland, and in goodly waters, and on the other it has the abundance of ploughlands and woodlands with many fertile meads and pastures.

Heritage Site | Flag Fen

Neolithic man found this out between 4000 and 3000BC when the area was first settled and farmed. Pottery dating from that era has been uncovered across the region, so distinctive in style that it has become known as Peterborough ware.

By the time of the Roman invasion, it’s believed that quite a major Iron Age settlement was occupying the future Peterborough. The Romans landed in 43, by 47 they had taken over control of the area, with the building of a large fort at what is now Thorpe Wood Golf Course. Ferry Meadows also shows traces of Roman habitation, still visible today – at first, purely military, with the construction of two small camps and defensive ditches. But, once the troops departed, the spot became a farm instead, complete with its own temple.

It was from the fortress at Longthorpe that the legendary Legio IX Hispana (Ninth Legion of Spaniards) set out to battle Queen Boudica when her Iceni tribe rose in revolt against the Romans in 61. And it was back to Longthorpe that the legion fled after being ambushed by Boudica, with 80 per cent of its soldiers dead. Its general Quintus Petillius Cerialis realised he would be unable to hold the fort with such diminished manpower, so a smaller stronghold was built inside the original, less than half its size.

Although the fort at Longthorpe was abandoned as the army moved on, a civilian settlement was establised: Durobrivae, the first proper town in the district. It stood on Ermine Street near the current Water Newton and was a thriving place of 44 acres with its suburbs stretching out much further, including to Castor where the remains of a large villa still exist. Pottery was its main commerce, right up until it dropped out of history at the end of the fourth century, when the empire’s hold on Britain started to disintegrate. While scarce traces of it can be found at ground level now, the internet has granted all of us a precious opportunity to be amateur archaeologists. Look on Google Earth and just to the west of Water Newton, beside the A1, you can make out the remains of Durobrivae and its network of streets within the old wall outline, punctuated by Ermine Street running through the centre and off to the north west towards Lincoln.

The Anglo-Saxons arrive

The Romans were replaced by the Anglo-Saxons, who spread from Germany during the fifth century, and it is to them that Peterborough owes its direct origins. The area was ruled over by the Pagan king Penda from 626 to 655, but his son Peada introduced Christianity to the Middle Angles, the region in which future Peterborough lay. Admittedly, his faith was perhaps less about true belief and more a desire to marry into the affluent Northumbrian Royal house but nevertheless, he founded a monastery in 655. Named Medeshamstede, it was built on the site of the current cathedral and from there, the town and later city grew up around it. The name means ‘homestead in the meadows’, although 12th century scholars have also attributed it to a nearby spring called Medes Well.

Medeshamstede soon grew in importance, becoming the mother house of other religious establishments as Christianity spread. Its existence was quite peaceful up until 870 when invading Vikings reputedly burnt it to the ground and massacred the monks. It wasn’t refounded again until 970, when Bishop Aethelwold of Winchester claimed to have been visited by God, who told him to travel to the ancient monastery of St Peter and restore it. This he did, after a small hiccup when he stumbled on Oundle by accident and started to build there instead. A presumably slightly frustrated God then appeared a second time to point out his mistake and direct him down-river a few miles until he found the real Medeshamstede, its ruins being used to house cattle and sheep and

the whole place filled with foulness and all uncleanness

according to Hugh Candidus. Perhaps mindful of the tales of its previous treatment by the Vikings, the rebuilt structure was soon surrounded by an earth bank and wooden palisade, thus becoming known as Burgh, meaning a fortified place. Adding the name of the saint to whom it was dedicated later created Peterburgh.

Hereward the Wake

A century later though, the monastery was in trouble once more. Following the Norman invasion of England, local rebel leader Hereward the Wake stormed Burgh, his somewhat fragile excuse being that he wanted to stop its treasures falling into the hands of William the Conqueror. The defences had little effect – he simply set fire to buildings adjacent to the main gate and got in that way. The entire fledgling community of Burgh was destroyed, save for one solitary house, and the monastery was once again set on fire. Small wonder that the abbot, Thorold, promptly had a motte-and-bailey castle constructed next door, albeit out of wood. The mound on which it stood can still be seen from the cathedral grounds, off to the north.

Peterborough and fire were obviously unhappy bedfellows, for in August 1116 there was yet another blaze that destroyed both the town and the church, its tower remaining alight for nine days. The cause was attributed to drunkenness among the monks. All the monastery’s documents went up in flames too, forcing the monks to borrow other religious institution’s records and copy them. This included the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, an Anno Domini history of Britain. Under Norman rule though, these accounts by great churches gradually died out, except in Peterborough, where the monks continued to note down events. Because of this, even after French had been adopted as the official language by order of the Norman regime, Peterborough continued as the last bastion of Old and Middle English, with the writers often showing considerable sympathy for ordinary people amid difficult circumstances. This makes the Peterborough Chronicle both unique for the time, and incredibly significant. The manuscripts came to an end in 1154 and are now preserved in the Bodleian Library in Oxford.

The birth of the cathedral

Building work got underway in 1118 on a new abbey that is now the cathedral. The town was also re-established outside its gates, this time to the west rather than the east, as it had been previously. Its street layout largely corresponds to that still in place today. The ‘gates’ at the end of road names such as Cowgate and Westgate – both of which came into being at this time – are derived from ‘gaeta’, the Danish word for ‘street’. The abbots of Peterborough had total power over the inhabitants, with much the same status as barons. They were responsible for law and order, plus the growth of the town and construction projects, with the first Town Bridge built in 1308. Made of wood, it survived right through until 1872, when it was replaced by an iron one. This had a much shorter life, lasting only until 1934 before the current concrete one took its place. The parish church of St John the Baptist in Cathedral Square was finished in 1407. Urban myth has it that the church stands lower than surrounding buildings because it occupied the old meat market, and the blood-soaked ground had to be dug out before the foundations could be sunk. It’s not true – the medieval street level was simply lower than it is today. Fairs were also organised, one of which – the Bridge Fair – still takes place today. It can trace its origins right the way back to 1439, when it was granted to the abbey by King Henry VI.

The relationship between abbey and town wasn’t always harmonious. In one of the city’s more notorious incidents, the townspeople rose up against the abbey as part of the Peasant’s Revolt of 1381, after King Richard II imposed a poll tax on a country still ravaged by the 1348 to 1350 Black Death outbreak. The Bishop of Norwich, Henry le Despenser – whose pious nature was somewhat negated by his reputation for wearing a suit of armour under his cassock – arrived with troops and violently put down the riot, massacring hundreds on the main square and in the Chapel of Thomas Becket. Think of that next time you’re having a coffee in Starbucks, for that is what now occupies the spot.

Legend has it that God was also somewhat annoyed by one of the more notorious abbots, and cursed Peterborough with Black Shuck, a huge phantom dog with eyes weeping fire, who has haunted the area since 1127. Anyone who sees him will be dead by sunrise. Presumably those who provided the description of him passed it on shortly before their own passing. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was told the fable in 1901 while visiting the area; shortly afterwards, he wrote the most famous of the Sherlock Holmes tales, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Featuring, of course, a huge phantom dog…

The power of the abbey came to an abrupt end in 1539, after King Henry VIII’s break with the Roman Catholic Church and the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Peterborough was more fortunate than most – instead of being sold and destroyed as many religious institutions were, it became a cathedral instead, with the town becoming a city by default, despite a population of only about 1500. However, the influence of the religious establishment was still strong, with the Dean and Chapter becoming Lords of the Manor of Peterborough, and the Churchwardens serving in much the same capacity as a modern local authority.

Perhaps one reason that the abbey survived to become a cathedral is that Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife, had been buried there in 1536 after her death at nearby Kimbolton Castle. She was entombed by Peterborough’s legendary gravedigger, Robert Scarlett. Old Scarlett, as he was nicknamed, lived to the unprecedented age of 98 and also interred another Queen, Mary of Scotland, in the cathedral after she was executed at Fotheringhay in 1587. Rumoured to be the inspiration behind Shakespeare’s gravedigger in Hamlet, it is said that during his long life, he buried at least two people from every Peterborough household. An outbreak of the plague in 1574 makes this less far-fetched than it sounds. His portrait now hangs above the main entrance to the church, along with a poem in his honour.

During the English Civil War of 1642 to 1651, Oliver Cromwell’s Parliamentary forces ransacked the cathedral, destroying several parts – including the cloisters – and damaging the interior. Their desecration of some of the carvings can still be seen. After the capture of King Charles I, he was briefly held in the cathedral’s gatehouse. Look for the nameplate of the King’s Lodging (the Monastic royal apartments where he was held) next time you pass under the archway. Shortly after the monarchy was restored, the impressive Butter Cross – also known as the Guildhall – was constructed in 1671, next to St John’s parish church, as the centrepiece for the marketplace and to commemorate the restoration; the royal arms of Charles II decorate its front.

Smallest city in England

In 1774, Peterborough was described by the Gentleman’s Magazine as ‘the smallest city in England’ with a population of less than 3000. However, it was also

indifferently built, with a good bridge, but the only building worth visiting is the Minster.

This was the same year that the city finally opened its first purpose-built theatre, for long a staple of other cities throughout Britain. It seems that despite previous prosperity from the wool and cloth trade, Peterborough’s signs of affluence were being constrained by the strong influence of the religious authorities. It still closely resembled the 12th century town, with little spread of the city beyond the plan laid out over 650 years before. Stagnation was setting in, and in 1786, the city even had to petition Parliament for assistance as the wool industry declined.

In 1790, the citizens took matters into their own hands and appointed a group of 33 locals as the Peterborough Pavement and Improvement Commissioners, effectively a local government. Among the improvements instigated were the Customs House by the Town Bridge – for in those days, Peterborough was also a port navigable to by trade ships along the River Nene – and oil lamps for the streets. They introduced some regulations that would be familiar to modern Peterburghians, such as strict parking rules and powers of compulsory purchase for highway improvement. Others were more alien, such as casks only allowed to be rolled a maximum of 40 yards on footpaths and strict rules on where beasts could be slaughtered in the streets. One form of transport which persisted in our narrow streets were Sedan Chairs, Peterborough being the last place in the country where you could be carried by hand to your destination!

Norman Cross Prisoner of War Camp

Further municipal benefits came from a very unexpected source; the Emperor Napoleon. The wars with France necessitated the building of camps to house prisoners of war and Norman Cross, near Yaxley, was chosen as one site. It opened in 1797 and, at its peak, had a population – enforced and otherwise – of over 10,000, making it nearly three times the size of Peterborough in an area a fraction of the size. The huge influx of guards and prisoners profited the local economy greatly, especially as the officer classes were allowed out on parole in the city. The first national UK census in 1801 recorded that Peterborough had jumped by 700 to 3500 residents in 10 years. It may not sound like much now, but it represented a leap of 25 per cent for what was still a very small place.

The coming of the railways was the next major boost for Peterborough. The first line reached the city, from Northampton, in 1845. The direct Great Northern Railway (GNR) route to London followed in 1850, as part of what would become the main East Coast Main Line to Scotland. Peterborough suddenly became a major railway town and a home to engineering workshops. Finally, the city began to spread out from its 12th century plan, with new houses snaking out along the side of the GNR for miles. By 1861, the railways were employing 2000 people in the town and the population had ballooned to 11,732; Peterborough’s transformation from small provincial market centre to bustling industrial complex was well underway. One of those employed as an apprentice in the GNR’s works was the son of a mill owner from nearby Alwalton. The technical experience Henry Royce gained there proved invaluable later in his career when, along with Charles Rolls, he founded Rolls-Royce to build ‘the best cars in the world.’

The railway wasn’t the only boom industry. Brick making had come to the area in the 18th century but on a small scale. Then, in 1891, a new, much improved and faster technique was perfected, and dubbed the ‘Fletton process’ after the part of Peterborough where it was pioneered. The city and its environs became the centre of British brick manufacturing, dominated by the London Brick Company throughout most of the 20th century. Brick-making continues in the area today.

All this Victorian expansion also brought much improved facilities. An infirmary opened in 1822, although it soon proved too small and moved to a mansion in Priestgate, now the location of the city’s museum. Gas lighting arrived in 1830 followed by a Corn Exchange, for local commerce in 1846 although this unfortunately replaced the 1774 theatre and meant that, for the next 30 years, Peterborough had no permanent entertainment venue.

Such was Peterborough’s intensive development that, in 1874, it became a municipal borough, with a proper council to run services. It was this that provided a piped water supply and sewers within a few years, and opened up the first public library in 1892.

Modern times

Long Causeway 1904

Peterborough started the 20th century with its population at 30,000 – getting on for 10 times what it had been 100 years previously. The supply of electricity was a new innovation, leading to trams being introduced from 1903 to 1930. A cinema came along in 1911, and, to cope with the burgeoning number of residents, council houses started to appear during the 1920s. The modern city was starting to take shape. But it was inevitable that, as Peterborough rushed to make up for centuries of inactivity, it would lose some of its ancient charm. One victim of the changes was the road from the Town Bridge to the centre. Narrow Street was a row of quaint and ancient buildings but a major obstacle to traffic, as well as the aspirations of the city council, which required a Town Hall somewhat more substantial than the ramshackle building tacked onto the end of the Guildhall. So the shops were demolished, to double the width of the road to make Bridge Street, with the new classical-columned Town Hall, completed in 1934, as its focal point.

Despite the presence of vital industries in the city – such as Perkins Engines, occupying the site now taken up by the Queensgate Centre and bus station – Peterborough escaped World War Two comparatively unscathed, although the Corn Exchange was destroyed by an incendiary in 1942, the cathedral slightly damaged and the Lido – the Art Deco open air swimming pool only opened in 1936 – also hit. Although presumably not on purpose, unless the Luftwaffe had a particular aversion to East Anglian al fresco bathing.

The war also brought large numbers of overseas soldiers and air personnel to the area, mainly Americans, Polish and other East European nationalities. Among those who spent time in the area was Hollywood heartthrob Clark Gable, who could regularly be found drinking in local pubs in between his duties as an airman. Such multiculturalism has continued ever since, with an influx of Italians to the brick industry in the 1950s, Commonwealth immigrants during the 1960s and lately settlers from Eastern Europe.

But the biggest 20th century change to Peterborough came in 1967 when the government designated it a new town, to double in size within 20 years. With the population at 80,000 at the time, this was quite some undertaking and the Peterborough Development Corporation was formed a year later to manage this. New housing estates were built – Bretton, Orton and the continuing expansion at Hampton – and the middle of the city was transformed in 1982 by the opening of the Queensgate Centre. Nene Park and Ferry Meadows, to the west, opened as a vast recreation area for the benefit of residents and the city was enclosed by the Parkway system to speed up road traffic. But anyone driving on these in recent years will have noticed how Peterborough is now starting to unfurl itself past these boundaries, to the south and the east, with new housing and commercial building.

Queensgate Construction 1978

The Peterborough of today is a diverse and ever-growing modern city of around 175,000 inhabitants. It still retains its medieval core at its centre, with its street plan and magnificent cathedral – which fortunately survived another fire in November 2001 – but beyond that, it’s very much a product of the Victorian era and modern times. Redevelopment is continuing, with plans in store for the Westgate, station and south bank quarters, following close on the heels of the Cathedral Square revamp. The challenges of current times are being recognised by Peterborough’s commitment to become the UK’s environment capital, with the Green Wheel cycle network a major facet of this scheme. For so much of its history, Peterborough seemed to be a city that stood still. Now it’s moving faster than ever before.

The Green Wheel Cycling Network

The Leicestershire-based furniture manufacturer and retailer is looking for a local charity to support. As well as donating money for every bedroom sold in the store, big hearted Hammonds would like to get further involved by holding store events to raise further funds for the charity.

Richard Hammonds, Chairman and grandson of the founder is personally overseeing the new store opening. He comments:

It is really important that we invest back into Peterborough but we need the community to tell us who they’d like us to support. We have done some early research which shows there are a staggering 36 local charities in the area and we would love to get involved with one of them

Some of the higher profile charities that Hammonds has already come across include: ‘Find a cure for Alex’ and homeless charity ‘Peterborough Streets’.

With over 70 showrooms nationwide the successful £70m Hammonds Furniture Group are recruiting four new staff to work in the store which will feature all of the latest bedroom and office collections.

Based in Hinckley, Hammonds already works in partnership on a national basis with the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity and plants a tree for every bedroom sold. The Woodland Trust is planting six million trees to create hundreds of new woodlands to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee this year. Since the partnership began in 2004 Hammonds has planted over 28,000 trees and raised nearly £1/2m helping the Woodland Trust to manage and care for the UK’s woodland.

If you are part of or know a local charity which could benefit from being involved with Hammonds please send details outlining the organisation to kirsty.oakes@hammonds-uk.com

www.hammondsfittedbedrooms.com

www.hammonds-uk.com

Saturday, February 11 at 1:00pm at Andronicas Art Gallery and Cafe

Please come and join Jaroslaw at the opening of his first solo exhibition and explore his refreshingly uninhibited freedom of expression. Jaroslaw expresses a passion for life through an exuberant use of colour and texture. His larger than life paintings demand attention and evoke an exploration of one’s own responses to life, love and music.

Jaroslaw Jacek Sokol

There are many talented artists living and working in the Peterborough area but very few opportunities to bring their work to local audiences. Andronicas is one of the few venues in Peterborough where artists can show their work in a gallery-like environment and where the public can have access to and enjoy original art.

On this occasion, artist Jaroslaw Jacek Sokol has been provided the opportunity to present his work in his first solo exhibition.

www.facebook.com/events/376785499002736/

Andronicas Art Gallery and Cafe
Peterborough Garden Park
Peterborough Road
Eye
Peterborough
PE1 4YZ

Opening Hours

Monday: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Tuesday: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Wednesday: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Thursday: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Friday: 9.30am – 5.00pm
Saturday: 9.30am – 5.30pm
Sunday: 10.00am – 4.00pm

Tel: 020 7749 4791

Having spent the past 4 months happily foraging in the grounds of Burghley Estate’s woods that run alongside the William Cecil car park, they have fattened up over Christmas and are now ready to be featured on a new Pig Menu which will go live from Tuesday 7th February.

Neil Dowson, Head Chef of the William Cecil has cleverly devised a “This Little Piggy went to Stamford” menu, taking inspiration from his time at The Savoy and further afield in New York.

I wanted to show how every part of the pig can be used – from “Crispy Pigs Cheeks” to “Pork Osso Bucco” and “Momofuku Pork Buns”. I want there to be something for everyone to try.

 

Phil Kent, Head Chef at the William Cecil’s sister, The Bull & Swan, has created a complimentary menu which showcases his renowned classic style: Pork Meatballs, Traditional Bangers and Mash and a Five Spice Crispy Pork Belly. Phil said:

I believe this Pig Menu will continue to bring the locals in, as we already have a strong following that has shown great interest in the pigs up the road. I’m really looking forward to providing great quality, fresh dishes to our customers.

 

Christoph Brooke, Managing Director of Hillbrooke Hotels said:

We are very proud and delighted to be able to show Stamford residents how dedicated we are to using organic, fresh produce at our hotels. Although we have done so for some years at one of our Wiltshire hotels, this is the first time we have reared pigs at Stamford, and we hope to continue the tradition if this Pig Menu proves popular.

 

The William Cecil of Stamford is also home to 5 happy chickens, a gift from Burghley Estate Director David Pennell, on the eve of the opening of the hotel in July 2011. They continue to thrive in their large enclosure and produce up to 30 eggs/week.

The hotel, formerly known as The Lady Anne’s Hotel, was renamed the William Cecil at Stamford when it opened last July, following an extensive 6 month renovation programme by Hillbrooke Hotels. The hotel boasts 27 individually designed and decorated bedrooms, many with roll top baths and with furniture which has been created for the hotel in Rajasthan. The William Cecil is the second property in Stamford for the Hillbrooke Group, following the highly successful renovation and opening of The Bull & Swan in December 2010.

Stamford Foundation Card Holders continue to receive 10% off all meals at both The William Cecil of Stamford and The Bull & Swan of Burghley.

For more information please contact:

Antonia Scot

Marketing Manager

antonia@thewilliamcecil.co.uk

07779 332790

I suppose I have become renowned for my Black Heroes Collection which includes among many others, great people such as Martin Luther King, Mary Secole, Bob Marley even Mohammed Ali. I’ve exhibited all over the UK with this collection. Now I’m embarking on my next portrait project: the local dignitary collection(Faces in Spaces) which is such fun and really recognises Peterborough people for what they have achieved. So far I’ve painted the Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Cliff Walker, and now Peter Boizot who has always been a great supporter of the arts and himself accumulated a great art collection.

I was privileged to attend Mr Boizot 82nd birthday party last year and he was more than happy to pose for a few minutes for me to take a couple of photos to do his painting. I really wanted to try and capture some of his personality in this portrait as well as getting the skin tones right. Overall I am really pleased with the finished painting and would like to add that a dear friend and teacher said it’s the best one of my portraits he has seen so far.

Some faces are easier to draw than others and at times you only realise how difficult a face may be to draw when you actually start drawing. I have recently painted John Shearman’s portrait. Capturing his character was a lot easier than some portraits I’ve worked on in the past.

I also wanted to capture some of the natural light flowing through the window and bouncing off his face. When I told John that I was working on his portrait, he was a little worried but upon seeing the finished painting he said ‘Looks great – you have given me a gentle benign look and I like that! NEVER had my portrait painted before!’

Each portrait is painted in layers and after sketching, always starts with an overall lightly washed tone, picking out the light and dark areas. After a couple of days secondary tones are laid down, before slowly adding the details. I always start with the detail on the eyes. I tend to work on at least two paintings at the same time and jump between them so I can keep looking at each piece of work with a fresh eye. But at times I get totally consumed in the zone while working on a painting and then I just go with the flow until the painting is completed.

The next two dignitaries on my list are Gillian Beasley, City Council CEO and The Mayor, Councillor Paula Thacker MBE. I have hinted to Paula that she may one day turn up at one of my exhibitions and come face to face with a portrait of herself. I hope to feature the new portraits at my PAOS exhibition this year in June at Shine, in Park Road.

Peterborough Artist Tony Nero

For more information visit Tony Nero’s website www.tonynerobrushworks.com Faces in Spaces