Today's council meeting was considering schemes by Speight & Sons of Leeds and Mr Winby of Nottingham for providing Peterborough with a system of tramways. John Addy, the council's consulting engineer, supported the Speight scheme; Councillor Gaches, meanwhile, preferred the Winby plans. Councillor Redhead's motion, seconded by Mr Barrett, agreed that tramways should be allowed in Peterborough. The town clerk read the applications and presented testimonials supporting both schemes. After an extended council discussion on both schemes, the town clerk stated that he had just had a letter handed to him from Mr Speight, who was in an ajoining room. It stated that he was willing to withdraw his scheme and felt that the town would be well served by Mr Winby. That annoyed John Addy, would claimed that this withdrawal could not be countenanced without his consent - and that if Speight was withdrawing, he wished to go on with the scheme himself! The mayor argued that it was not Speight's signature on the letter - it had been written for him, at which point the clerk claimed that he was being called a liar. Speight confirmed it was his signature and that he had written and signed it of his own free will. Over twenty years were to pass before Peterborough got trams! (Stamford Mercury)

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