Peterborough

Located in Cambridgeshire, England, on the River Nene, Peterborough had a population of 183,631 as of 2011. The city is decorated by its castles.Lying around 74 miles north of London, the city has been a part of Northamptonshire for a long time. The railway station at Peterborough that lies on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh, is considered to be a significant stoppage.

At some places, Peterborough lies below sea level while at others it is seen lying on a flat land. Archaeological finds reveal the existence of human beings at the Peterborough location even before the Bronze Age. During the Anglo-Saxon period, monasteries started springing up with one of them being the Medeshamstede monastery. The Peterborough Cathedral is the new name for the same monastery.

With the arrival of the railways in the 19^th Century, the population of Peterborough started to grow. Industrialization also saw a steep rise with the arrival of railways. Peterborough developed as a centre of bricks manufacturing. It was in the mid-20^th century that the development of Peterborough came to a standstill and remained so till 1960’s. This was mainly due to the Second World War.

Now, the Peterborough administration is having plans that will provide better facilities to the citizens such as housing, health, road and other means of transport. A sum of around £1 billion is being spent on the redevelopment of the city and its neighbours.

Sports :

Peterborough has teams for various games such as American and Australian rules football athletics, cricket, football, hockey, ice hockey, rowing, and rugby. Between 1906 and 1974, Northamptonshire has been home to some home games of the city in various games.  The Peterborough Hockey Club and the Peterborough Town Cricket Club use the Westwood ground to play their home games in this city.

Notable people:

Some of the most notable people were born in Peterborough. They include:

• George Alcock - An astronomer
• John Clare – Poet
• Christopher Perkins – artist
• John Payne – A noticeable Catholic martyr
• Sir Henry Royce – Known as the co-founder of Rolls-Royce he was also the first Baronet of Seaton, and an engineer as well.
• John Hill – Author, Actor and Physician
• Frank Horrabin - A socialist writer cum illustrator
• Dr Richard Cumberland – Philosopher
• Hereward the Wake - an outlaw

Musicians

• Sir Thomas Armstrong – The Royal Academy of Music designated Armstrong as the Principal of the academy.
• Andy Bell - pop band Erasure’s lead vocalist
• Paul Nicholas - actor and singer

Media

• Claudia Katz Minnick – famed for "Spider-Man" where she played Robbie's Assistant, "The Black Dahlia" (Frisk Bartender) and "Ouija" (Mother)
• Simon Bamford – The 'Hellraiser' franchise
• Adrian Lyne – Fatal Attraction, Oscar-nominated director
• Sarah Wood - television presenter
• Jake Humprey – Presenter with BBC Formula One
• Adrian Durham - football journalist, presenter on Talksport radio
• Brian J.Ford - Broadcaster, Biologist and Author

Sporting World Personalities

• David Bentley – Footballer with Tottenham Hotspur and England
• Craig Jones - Motorcycle Racer
• Louis Smith – A gymnast from the United Kingdom who won an  individual Olympic medal in the last hundred years first of all
• Isaiah Brown – Football player with Chelsea

Town Twinning :

To promote friendship among various troubled nations after the Second War, Europe adopted the method of town twinning. Its main purpose was to spread greater friendship and harmony among the different European cities. Town twinning is an agreement to help in the various activities and projects that are organised by the communities of both the countries. This also leads to the development of lifestyle, historical, and cultural similarities and differences. The various town with which Peterborough has twinning are listed below:

• Spain - Alcalá de Henares, 1986
• France - Bourges,1957
• Italy - Forlì, 1981
• Germany -Viersen, 1981
• Ukraine - Vinnytsia, 1991