Olympic Champion

15/07/1908

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For many years the Robertson family ran a cycle shop at the top of Cowgate. It was on this day that one of the founding family, Arthur (Archie) Robertson, became an Olympic champion when he won gold as part of the winning British 3-mile team race at those games, held in London. He also came second - to another British runner - in the 3,200 metres steeplechase and just missed a third medal when he finished fifth in the 5-mile race. He retired from running in 1909, returning to his first love - competitive cycling. (BBC Scotland; Peterborough Evening Telegraph; birchfieldharriers.net)

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

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Chronicle Writers (and a Wild Hunt)

1127

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Much of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, our key source for early medieval English history, was written at Peterborough Abbey in this period – today preserved in the Peterborough D and E Manuscripts. Another chronicle was written here by a monk called Hugh Candidus, telling the story of the abbey. One tale he told was of a corrupt abbot, Henry d'Angély, who was a rather godless and worldly man who planned to loot Peterborough of its wealth. As a result a dread portent followed in the form of a spectral 'wild hunt' sent to terrorise the area. 'In the very year in which he came to the abbey, marvellous portents were seen and heard at night during the whole of lent, throughout the woodland and plains, from the monastery as far as Stamford. For there appeared, as it were, hunters with horns and hounds, all being jet black, their horses and hounds as well, and some rode as it were on goats and had great eyes and there were twenty or thirty together. Many men of faithful report both saw them and heard the horns...'

Anglo Saxon Chronicle , Hugh Candidus , Henry d'Angely

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Olympic Champion

15/07/1908

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Chronicle Writers (and a Wild Hunt)

1127

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