Ashmole Visits the City

26/05/1657

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Following his visit to Peterborough, Elias Ashmole, antiquarian, Windsor Herald and founder of Oxford's Ashmolean Museum, writes: "Alfricus founded ye Chappell in ye middle of the Front of Peterborough Church and dedicated it to St. Thomas a Becket. It is 120 steps up to ye high leades and thence to the lanthorne 69 more. The monument that was made for the Monks that were martyred by the Danes, stands still in ye Church yar, over against the high altar on ye South side, where they were buried. Doctor Pothington lyes buried eastward of it." The 'Chappell' is the front porch, which has a secondary job of helping keep the glorious West Front standing. (Russell, John, Fair Spot and Goodly - Visitors' impressions of Peterborough, Peterborough Arts Council, 1984) Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014,

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Ernie Wise Took His Final Bow

1999

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Comedian Ernie Wise OBE, one half of the legendary double-act Morecambe and Wise, died on 21st March 1999. He lived on Thorpe Road in Peterborough for many years with his wife Doreen, next door to singer Edmund Hockridge.

Proud of his home, he often made references to Peterborough in sketches on the Morecambe and Wise Show. The show ran from 1968 to 1983 on BBC then Thames Television and featured some of the biggest celebrities of the day. Comedic sketches were interjected with dance and musical numbers, for which the pair are best known. The two outstanding sketches are Singin' In The Rain and The Breakfast Sketch.

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise were honoured with OBE's in 1976 for their many years of service on television, radio and films. They won many awards during their careers, including 8 BAFTAs and Freedom of the City of London. During one of their Christmas episodes in 1977 the pair broke all previous viewing figures with over 20 million viewers. Both are remembered with statutes in Morecambe and Morley respectively.