Travel giant’s early days in city

Thomas Cook is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, and to mark this landmark for one of the world’s most inconic firms there is a special exhibition of its history at Peterborough Museum.

ThecompanychosePeterborough to be the base for its operation, movingintoitsfirst cityheadquarters at Thorpe Wood in 1977.

It later moved to Bretton and now has a new home at Lynch Wood Business Park.

Today’s Looking Back pictures feature some scenes from its early days in Peterborough.

The pictures above left show staff hard at work in the offices. Do you recognise anybody in the picture?

The Thomas Cook fun run was a popular event on the city’s leisure calendar.

Thepictureaboverightwas taken in 1989.

The picture below it to the left shows boxer Frank Bruno at therunwithsomelocalchildren. Does anybody know the date this was taken?

Thelast picture showswell knownlocal businessman Nigel Hards who at one time was chief executive of Thomas Cook and later chairman of Peterborough hospital trust.

Nigel is pictured by goalposts and I wonder whether this was taken to announce Thomas Cook’s sponsorship of Posh?

If youhaveanyinformation or memories about Thomas Cook please get in touch.

The man who started it all, Thomas Cook.