Working hard for your leisure

There has always been a lot of hard work behind the scenes to provide the city’s leisure activities. But venues and events come and go, with some lasting a lot longer than others.

Today’s pictures showcase some of the city’s most enduring events - although sadly one is no longer with us.

The Peterborough Show, and its successor, the East Of England Show, was for many years the biggest event on the city’s leisure calendar. But nothing is for ever, and 2012 proved to be the last show after 200 years.

The picture (top left) shows an aerial view of Peterborough Show taken around 1920.

One traditional Peterborough event still going strong is Bridge Fair. The picture above was taken in 1991.

Today’s main picture is a splendid photograph taken in 1984 showing two steam engines on Nene Valley Railway.

According to Wikipedia, the engine on the left is what started the NVR story.

It says: “In 1968, the Rev. Richard Paten had bought BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 locomotive, number 73050, for its scrap value of £3,000.

“His intention had been to exhibit it outside Peterborough Technology College as a monument to Peterborough’s railway history.

“However, the locomotive was found to be in good working order, and there was much opposition to the idea of the engine being “stuffed”, and it was decided to restore it to full working order.’’

This week sees the 41st Peterborough Beer Festival.

The hugely popular event is now one one of the biggest of its kind in the country.

The picture (right) is from 1990.