Celebrate life of ‘Mr Peterborough’ at memorial service

A memorial service to remember one of Peterborough’s greatest sons will take place at the city’s cathedral.

The life of Peter Boizot will be remembered tomorrow (Friday) during a public service, starting at 2pm.

Mr Boizot died in December aged 89. A private funeral was held for family in December, but Friday’s service will be a chance to celebrate his public life and achievements.

The entrepreneur changed the face of eating out in Britain after founding the Pizza Express chain - bringing the Italian dish to UK restaurants for the first time.

But he was best known in the city for owning and running a number of iconic institutions, and became known as ‘Mr Peterborough’ for his work.

Peter bought Peterborough United for £5 million in 1997, rescuing them from the brink of collapse - and just three years later he was dancing on Wembley turf to celebrate promotion. His passion for Peterborough spread to The Great Northern Hotel, and along with making the hotel a jewel in the city’s crown, his parties at the venue became the stuff of legend.

He also owned and ran the Broadway Theatre for many years, before selling to Rinaldo Fasulo. Along with his business ventures, he raised millions for charities.

Peter was born in Peterborough, and went to The King’s School as a youngster. He also stood for election in Peterborough on a number of occasions.