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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Fletton Church Fascinations

c.800

Information

St Margaret's Church in Fletton was identified in the Domesday Book of 1086, but some of its features are considerably older. Safely protected inside the church are Anglo-Saxon carvings, presumed to be 8th or 9th Century, consisting of a frieze and two separate figures. The frieze contains images of saints, angels and mythical beasts, set amongst typical Anglo-Saxon woven designs. The images are thought to be of St. Michael and an Evangelist. All of the stonework is a light pink colour suggesting that it was once in a fire. One theory is that they had been moved from Peterborough Abbey during the great fire of 1116.

Another feature of the church is a large cross in the churchyard which may have Anglo-Saxon origins. The cross has had several additions and alterations and contains a rather peculiar Latin inscription at its base.