Rain Raises Prices

15/12/1904

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The annual Peterborough Christmas Fat Stock Show was held in the Cattle Market off the New Road in this week. Reports describe a very wet day - all day - but, in the true spirit of things, the show went on as usual. However, the show was not as large as previously, which was disappointing. The upside was that prices were consequently better than normal. Beef prices were singled out as being particularly good and contrasting very favourably with the low prices achieved just a few weeks previous. The champion bullock weighed in at 17.5cwt and fetched the very attractive price of £38 10s. (Northampton Mercury)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.

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Train Crashes into Cottage

14/08/1922

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An incident in Peterborough today became headline news across the country. The Western Morning News headlined a ' Startling Railway Mishap at Peterborough', while the Dundee Courier reported 'Engine crashes into cottage: Comes to standstill in kitchen: Fortunate escapes: Invalid woman buried in debris.' It all involved a runaway Midland and Great Northern railway engine, which crashed into a stationary brake van standing at the buffers before carrying on into the old stationmaster's house, then occupied by a railway controller named Ernest Cole, the engine and tender coming to a standstill in the kitchen. Cole's invalid wife was in bed in the room above the kitchen, and fell through the floor among the debris. She was reported as suffering from shock, cuts and bruises - now that is a surprise! Cole's daughter, aged 10, or 17 according to the Western Morning News, and named Gladys by local sources, was extricated unhurt from the debris. There are references to her 'emerging from the rubble with a smile on her face'. Cole's 75-year-old mother-in-law was pinned in the pantry and, when rescued, was suffering from severe shock. The engine driver and fireman appear to have jumped from the engine when it was in motion and were unhurt. (Peterborough Pictures; Peterborough Pictures Back in Time; Aberdeen Journal)

Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.