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Princess of Hearts

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22/01/1991

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This Tuesday was Princess Diana's first official visit to the city. Her prime reason for the visit was to attend the World Leprosy Day service at the cathedral. Afterwards, on her way to the Town Hall to see the Eurotunnel Exhibition, she flouted the formality of royalty and indulged in a walk down Bridge Street to chat to the crowds, many of whom had been waiting for three hours or more for her. She lunched at the Haycock at Wansford, where the guests had paid £100 or more each for the privilege, all the money going to help build a leprosy hospital in Thailand. Diana then returned to Peterborough to visit the Sue Ryder Home at Thorpe Hall, where she met Lady Ryder. She then spent some time talking to the staff as well as the people who were involved in getting the building into shape. The princess' day ended with a visit to the King's School as a part of its 450th anniversary commemoration. She made a return visit to the area in May of the same year, when she visited RAF Wittering with Prince Harry. The 7-year old was 'as pleased as punch' to be allowed to sit in the cockpit of a Harrier jump-jet. (Harper-Tee, John, 'The Peterborough Story', Peterborough Evening Telegraph, 1992)

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

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Fairfax House Lived in by Fairfaxes

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1400-1505

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Fairfax House sits at the foot of the bridge linking Deeping Gate and Deeping St James. It was once home to the Fairfax or Fayrfax family who were very well-known and influential family but have been mostly lost to obscurity in the area.

The Fairfaxes, so Reverend W. D. Sweeting claimed, originally came from Yorkshire in the early fifteenth century, with the last known Fairfax, William, dying in 1505. They lived in Fairfax Hall in Deeping Gate at the foot of the Deeping Gate bridge and were friends with Margaret Beauchamp of Maxey Castle, the St John family of Thorpe Hall fame and Brownes of Stamford. The most famous member of the family was composer Robert Fayrfax who was a favourite of both Henry VII and VIII and is fortunate to have his work collected in the Eton Choirbook.

The hall was built on the site of the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary which had been on the site in the fourteenth century. The current house dates from the mid-seventeenth century, which means it was built after the Fairfaxes left Deeping. It is a handsome stone building with grade II listed status. The family name was also used for the nearby road Fairfax Way.

Reference: Maxey Church and Parish, Rev D. W . Sweeting, 1899 http://www.maxeychurch.co.uk/SweetingMaxey1899.pdf 

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Links

  • Maxey Church and Parish Article Published 1899
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