Phorpres House

The impressive looking four storied square building that stands on the corner of what was once called Mile End Road but is now called St Margarets Road and  London Road in Fletton, is called Phorpres House. It was built  in 1896 for a John  Cathles  Hill. Hill, a developer-architect was at that time the owner of the London Brick Company. It's history has been very difficult to research and I'm sure it would more to say if I could only locate the records. 
I don't believe it was built as a home as, after an unsuccessful application for an alcohol license in August 1899 it became known as The Coffee palace an was a Gentleman's Coffee House. The layout of rooms inside do not lend themselves to a great house  that it would have been considering the size of the building.

John Cathles Hill

The Coffee Palace 1909

In 1917 the building was sold to Peerless Foods and was used as offices and goods depot. By 1928 it had been repurchased by the London Brick Company given the name Phorpres House (after the Phorpres brick) and used as their District Offices.

The trade-name Phorpres came about because Fletton Bricks, made from the local Oxford clay, are pressed twice in each direction so that they are literally 'four pressed' if the phrase is pronounced quickly it becomes Phorpres!

Phorpres House with its rather grand entrance.

 The building stood empty and neglected for years until sometime in the 1980's an enterprising property developer converted it into flats. This is now where Grandson Number 1 resides. In a spacious one bedroom flat on the third floor with its own kitchen and a full bathroom. A much improved residence to the rather down market one room in a shared house that was his previous residence.

The view from London Road

Remembrance and Getting the Festive Feel

I haven't been going into the City for a coffee fix after my morning swim as often as I use to. Last weeks trip cheered me up though. Normally the approaching Christmas season depresses me but this time was different. Queensgate had decorated for the festive season. 

The last three years have seen the same old lights and decoration being strung across the squares and galleries. Not very inspiring and the City Center lights have been diabolical for the same period. This year however a completely new festive  theme  has brightened the Mall.

 A plethora of blue and white twinkling lights add a sparkle to the recession gloom. They really do look pretty and festive. The photos really doesn't do the space justice.

Yesterday outside Queensgate, in the City Center, the Christmas lights had been erected. I didn't get a chance to go outside onto Cathedral square to see them. The official stitch on isn't until the 19th. Maybe I'll get to saunter outside to see the changes next week. 

yesterday  I was  getting a coffee fix with my other swim mates and waiting for 'Himself' to appear. 

At 11 an there was an almighty boom to mark the start of the Remembrance Day 2 minutes silence. The cafe fell silent and all chatter ended for the 2 minute span. Another boom marked the end of the 2 minutes and soon after 'Himself' appeared. He had been on Cathedral square with the Royal British Legion and hundreds of shoppers marking the silence.

After an amble back through Queensgate and around John Lewis's where we had a bite of lunch we parted. 'Himself' to go for his weekly drink with ex-work colleagues,   past and present,  at the  Ostrich    Pub and me to drive home. On the way home I was listening to Jeremy Vine on the radio He was interviewing Mothers who had lost Sons in the warring conflicts around the world and playing the sons 

favourite music. In the end I just had to switch the radio off as I just could not bear to listen to the heart wrenching stories of the bereaved Mothers. I could not hold back the tears, not good when your driving. 

Some more History -The early beginnings of 'The boro'

The Celts 

Sometime during the period between 1365BC and 976BC a timber causeway construction was erected by the indigenous Fen people. Using over 1,000,000 timbers it lay buried in the marshy, fen soil to the east of the present City. The archaeological site of Flag Fen is  situated to the east of today’s City. It connected ‘Whittlesey Island’ to the ‘Peterborough’ Neolithic and later Bonze and Iron Age Settlements across the wet Fenlands. 

There was great environmental changes happening during this period and the land began to get much wetter. The land was about a meter lower than todays levels. It is thought the Causeway was also used as a religious platform where people came to make offerings to the Gods. Probably to ask for their homes and farmsteads to be protected from the environmental changes. Many artifacts have been retrieved from the excavations of the causeway in Flag Fen. 

Around 700 BC the Celts crossed from Europe bringing with them Iron Ore Extraction, their language and an introduction to gold, silver and bronze as coinage and jewelry, although most trade at this time was conducted by barter. The Celts called Britain the Pretanic Islands, which evolved into the modern word Britain. 

Around this time a settlement was known to be in existence somewhere between Westwood and Spital Bridge. A natural spring water stream that became a tributary to the Nene, and much later called Tom Lockes Spring, originated near Westwood Bridge continued to Spital Bridge and then following along what is now Long Causeway (boats were moored along this stretch) through what is now Cathedral Square and on to the River Nene.

Small agricultural settlements continued to thrive in and around the Fens until the Roman’s first expedition in 54 BC then the invasion in 43AD.

This is a map is a reconstruction of the Greek, Potolemy’s, map of the Celtic tribes of Britain. The original was drawn in about 150AD.

It’s not really clear what tribe the people of the Fens fell into. People of this area were on the western edge of the Iceni Tribe and the northern edge of the Catuvellaundi Tribe. I suspect the Fenlanders secure in in their dangerous watery habitats were very much their own people.

The Romans.

After the Roman invasion of England, most of the Iron Age tribes in the South of the country accepted the Roman lifestyle, and were generally peaceful. However, the Iceni the tribe based in East Anglia and the Fens, were not so peaceful and the Roman had the need to build Military Forts near  Water Newton and another at  Longthorpe in order to guard crossings of the River Nene at those positions.   The Longthorpe Fort (found in the Nene Valley under what is now the Western edge of the Thorpe Golf course) was built to house half a Legion, around 3000 soldiers.   The  first mention of a Military presence at Water Newton was in AD43. Some 17 years later units of the infamous Roman Ninth Legion, based at Longthorpe were massacred by local Iceni warriors.

The great Roman road of Ermine Street (it eventually became the Great North Road and now the A1) was constructed between London and York and passed through Durobrivae, Another Roman road ran eastwards through the Fens called the Fen Causeway. It was actually was built over the now buried Bronze Age Flag Fen Causeway site and the foundations of this road can now be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site.

The Roman town of Durobrivae grew up in the Nene Valley around the Military Garrison. This was close to the presence day small village of Water Newton, close to Chesterton and Alwalton (on the A1 just west of Peterborough)   Durobrivae was also to become one of the richest Roman towns due to its flourishing pottery industry. It’s importance was such that it has been suggested that Durobrivae was probably a regional capital and market centre. 

Due to the prosperity of Durobrivae, Roman Villas sprung up all over the area. One in particular, a Pretorium (or Praetorium, a large palace like building) at Castor, was mistaken for a small village when it was first discovered, and has turned out to be the second largest Roman building ever found in this country. There was even a Temple here, which stood where Castor Junior school stands today. The current church of St Kyneburgha at Castor stands in what was the courtyard of this Pretorium. A section of Roman wall can still be seen in the wall surrounding the garden of the old Vicarage.

The Roman rule continued for 400 years. Paganism and Christianity existed side by side until 379 AD when a decree stated worship of all Heathen Gods was decreed illegal. The spread of Christianity was hindered after the Roman withdrawal and the invasion of the Jutes in 499 and the Saxons in 475. There followed some 600 years of saxon rule. Reconversion to Christianity began once more in 597 AD with the arrival of St Augustine from Rome who introduced the Benedictine Order of Monks to Britiain. They were to build many Abbeys in the country, including the one in Medehamstede, now Peterborough.

The Saxons

Medehamstede, was the name given to a village built by the Saxons, It means Meadow Homestead, another meaning is given as The home by a deep well. Medehampstede was in the Kingdom of Mercia. One of the severn Saxon Kingdoms. It’s King was Penda and his son Peada married into a Christian family. A mission of Benedictine monks came to this area and in 655AD, a monk, known as Saxulf, founded a monastery on the solid ground that is now where the Cathedral is standing. The Abbey was  abandoned around the year 870AD when the Danes, or Vikings,  were  invading and plundering the area. Some years later a new Benedictine Abbey was built between 960 and 970AD.  A wall around the settlement was built to protect themselves against further attacks from the Danes.

 Having fortified the settlement, the place then was called St. Peters Burgh. Soon, a market was built, and the city continued to prosper and grew to become a small town. 

The Normans

However, in 1070AD, an army of Danes, together with some Saxons, attempted to overthrow William the Conqueror, in the process, attacking and burning down Peterborough. William the Conqueror appointed Abbot Thorold who built a Garrison, Tout Hill, to protect the Abbey. During the Dark Ages, Peterborough was under the rule of the Abbots, making it a humble and trivial town at the time. Fire attacked the city again, but just like before, the City got by and began to rebuild again. One fire broke out in a bakehouse setting light to the Church and town and it is said the Abbey tower burnt for nine days. A second Abbey was rebuilt, in its present form, between 1118 and 1238AD. 

Sometime between 1262-1273 the growing town received its Town Charter. 

The Abbey of Peterborough was Sacked just again in 1539, by Henry VII, but, as his first wife Katherine of Aragon was buried here in the Abbey it wasn’t totally destroyed The Abbey became the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Peterborough in 1541 and it is now known as the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew. The city's population now increased to 1500 people, making Peterborough a small yet official city.

We Get Some New Residents

During the night the dour weather hitting the West of Britain finally caught up with us. We woke to a dark grey rainy morning. Mustn't complain though, we've had some great sunny warm days over the last two months since we've been home from our travels. The garden is desperate for rain and I need the soil moist to be able to plant some spring bulbs.

There's not much to be done outside today so after my morning swim and when 'Himself' had finished cleaning out the fish tank we decided to go out. The tank needs some new lighting and our fish stocks of little guppies had dwindled to five. So we needed to hit the Aquatic stores.

First though, lunch. We decide to try one of the new food outlet that have opened up across the 'Boro during the Summer. This one is a  new build  Pub on a brand new housing estate called Cardea. The Pub is called The Apple Cart'. As soon as you push the doors open you can smell the newness. Allot of wood has been used in the decor and that's the predominate smell. The decor was disappointing for a brand new building. It was done with no flair, almost a 1980's style decor and with such a mismatch number of prints and photograph crammed on all the empty wall spaces. 

 It's seems a friendly place though. The waiter showed us to a table and explained how they worked. Most pubs of this sort have a table number and you decide on the food you want and order at the bar. This system was a table waiting service. The food came quickly after we ordered. The menu was quite large and varied but with a pub of this size serving mainly food it had to be bulk ordered and mostly pre-cooked. 

Lots of seating outside but not for today!

eclectic styling somewhat retro!

They had a good selection of beers.

 After lunch we walked across to the brand new Morrisons store serving the estate to do some shopping. The problem with shopping with 'Himself' is that I find food in the trolley that is luxury not necessity and my bill gets expensive! The store holds no surprises. All these new food stores are built in the same style.

Three aquatic stores later we have a stylish new 'intelligent' lighting system for the Orb fish tank and a dozen new colourful residents.

Darned fish refuse to pose!

Back into the Fens!

Yes, I know I've change the blog title.  But I'm still a Fenlander at heart. This map shows that the  Boro was and is right on the Western edge of the Fens. This map from the Doomsday period was at least 600 years after the Romans started on Fen Drainage It was still a wet marshy place though until the a Dutchman continued with the project during the 18th century. 

Lots of major drainage dykes criss cross the area  with the result the land has shrunk below many of the old causeways through the marshes that later became roadways.

                   

 Another new roadway has been forged across the drained fenlands. A new route from Peterborough to Spalding, bypassing Eye. The Road builders underestimated the unpredictable structure of the land and the road developed cracks before it could be opened. It's taken over a year for the contractors to strengthen the foundations of the road. Never under estimate the substructure of fen soil. The Market Deeping to Boston road bypassing Spalding suffered the same fate when it was opened some years ago.

This is the substantial bridge is built over the ancient Roman canal called Cardyke. It was built to carry Roman provisions between Peterborough and Lincoln.  Now days it occasionally disappears from the landscape. The canal here, is really nothing to look at it could easily be mistaken for an ordinary drainage dyke.

The suns still shinning away here despite torrential downpours and floods across in the West of the Country. After lunch we decided to take a trip on the new road and visit our Home town of Spalding. The road has several very long stretches with gentle curves where there's ample opportunity for idiot, impatient drivers to show of their lack of driving skill. We had some prime examples of such idiot manoeuvres  coming home at peak driving time.

We pulled in at Springfield's, Spalding Outlet shopping precinct. It's quite a while since our last visit here. Some shops have gone and new shops opened. A whole new Avenue of shops have been opened and a Travel Lodge has been added. 

We saunter round the shops for a while. My favourite shop has gone. A shop selling card making paper and accessories but further along, where the Information and Museum was,  is a new craft outlet. The Museum is still there but smaller. The new shop  has a good range of papers but not such a good selection of art and craft materials, although it does have a limited range of knitting wool.  Oh yes, and a small area selling teas and coffees, much cheaper than the Costa's outlet further along. 

The last time I actually went around the gardens was many years ago when the Boys were still small and Springfields was still a garden to showcase Spalding's speciality,  spring bulbs. When the Shopping Outlet village was built all the gardens were redesigned and replanted. 

I still haven't managed all the gardens yet as walking distances give me much pain. But I managed just a short distance around a few gardens. One day I'll get to the see the gardens before going to the shops!

The small areas I ambled around were still splendidly colourful in the late Autumn sun. The rill running across the area that divides the shops from the gardens had been changed quite dramatically. Sections of the rill going under the bridge at the entrance to the gardens had been widened. The large Koi carp had been restricted to each ends of the remaining rill. The enlarged sections of water now have fountains and lights added and large Bose speakers stand on each side of the bridge.  The next evening musical secessions will be at the 'Firework night' and the switching on of the Christmas lights.

One the way back to the car we just had to visit the Outlet's  Garden Center. It's well stocked and had some colourful displays in the outdoor plant area. I managed to resist getting the purse out though!!

Cyclamen and ornamental cabbages.

Winter Heathers 

are they gourds or squashes?

On the way home we could see dark blue black clouds and lightning flashing across the Fen skies. The rain we could see in the distance, drenching some parts of the fens managed to miss us completely. All we got was a few spots that hardly made the road wet. So were still in a drought  situation while the West floods.

To change or not to change?

That was the question....... after some deliberation I decided to change. The title of the Blog that is. Why? Well  Peterborough is affectionately know as 'the Boro' by many people and its actually right on the Western edge of the Fens. Now days we don't seem to venture far into the Fens. Most of our Fenlander relatives and friends have passed on and some like us have moved on. Very little of my blog content was actually about the Fens any way.  So I thought why not try a change of title.  

The newspapers headlines have for a couple weeks now been giving us dire warnings about expected bad weather Last week according to them we should be knee deep in snow, rain and gales. While it's been decidedly on the chilly side for a few days and we had one middle of the night frost for the main part the weather has been quite comfortable for mid Autumn. Plenty of sunny days tempered by chilly winds. Today the wind is coming up from the South through France and is a pleasant warmish blustery breeze. Suns a little Hazy but a nice Autumn day. 

Wandering round the garden I couldn't help wishing I'd taken cutting earlier from these prolific flowering  golden leafed fuchsias They all flowering away as if it was early summer. They come through the harshest of winters and give such a spectacular flower display. I must have more. 

Across on the ivy covered gazebo wasps and this hugh bumble bee were feeding away on the nectar from the insignificant flowering heads of the ivy. 

one hungry bumble bee

The wasps were taking advantage too.

Despite the sun and temperate days all around there are signs that winter is approaching and the balmy days will all to soon come to an end. The Fatsia Japonica or Castor oil plant, is quite late preparing to bloom. It's little fluffy white flowers will change into black berries to feed the birds

All the fruiting shrubs and trees around have an abundance of berries this Autumn. The tree along the walk at the rear of our garden are having their berries plundered my the noisy Magpies. The Japanese honeysuckle has flowered once and produced an abundance of shiny black berries. Unusually though it has had a second period of blooming which is just about coming to an end. Shame as the blossom has a delicious perfume.

such a shame they're inedible.

 All this year fine dry weather has followed us around. It only rained here in 'the Boro' when we were in Vancouver. In Vancouver it only rained when we were out of the City. Back home again we've had only a sprinkling of rain. The garden soil is so dry and the dryness goes down deep into the soil. Leaves that have fallen from the trees blow about waiting for me to get the rake out. I have Spring bulbs I need to plant out but the soil is just too dry and hard to work. So as much as it grieves me to say this .... Please we need some rain and a few days of it.

where's the besom broom?

A knitting review

Some years ago during my dormant knitting period I disposed of all my knitting paraphernalia. I'd tried to rekindle my youthful enthusiasm when my grand children were born but to no avail. I just couldn't manage those needles or concentrate on a pattern. The needles, patterns and anything else connected to knitting were eventually consigned to a Charity shop. 

Just a part of my new needle collection.

It all began with a knitted bear project from the Knitting and Stitching show in The Alexander Palace in 2004. Then followed a big project, a jacket for me. A knitted hat requested from my grown up granddaughter. Baby jackets followed for great nieces and nephews. Then came socks scarfs, hand warmers and gloves.

The knitting bug had definitely taken over and once more. I began to accrue knitting accoutrement's again. I found the style of needles had changed. Circular needles were much easier to manage than the old straight ones. Yarns  were so much improved and the choice of yarn was vast, especially over in North America. Knitting was becoming a fashionable pastime once more. Enthusiastic young fashion designers were rewriting the pattern books.My stash of Canadian wool grew each time we came home. Membership of Ravelery came next. The online Knitting community started in America and spread worldwide.

Every now and again the needles are pushed into hibernation. But another trip to Canada soon resurrects the habit once more. An afternoon in Urban Yarns in Kitsalo and I came away with a pattern and wool for a head band with knitted flower

A trip to the well stocked yarn shop in Victoria on Vancouver Island found me purchasing this quite complicated pattern and the lovely soft alpaca wool. We're away once more. 

a pair of hand warmers

Before we pack to return home from our extended summer break Nancylee decided she needed to downsize her yarn stash. I finished up with a hugh bag of various yarns that had to be compressed into our reduced luggage allowance. 

the ever increasing yarn stash

The boxes on my office shelf are bursting with yarns. All packed in sealed ziploc bags to protect from dust and moths! (mainly dust though!!!) I get knitting. A pair of beanies emerge from my original stash.

a pair of contrasting 'Jared Flood' beanies

One keeps number three sons head warm while on a smoke break in the garden! Grand daughter Grace takes home a chunky mobius scarf, a slant eyed lace scarf and a pair of hand warmers. Some organic dyed wool knits up into a jacket for youngest great grand son. Not so pleased though after a trip into town to purchase a zip only to find that John Lewis has the very colour and style of zip I need but not the right length. 

Warm zip up jacket for master Nathan ( minus zip!)

The cast on for yet another mobius scarf proved challenging I used Cat Bohordini's UTube method, but had no pattern for this thickness wool. I was winging it! After two attempts I hope I've cracked it. I decided to use a moss stitch or seed stitch as it's called in North America. I'll update later on how it turns out. This is a trial run for a silk and wool yarn I want to use later so I hope it knits up as I want it to. 

another mobius scarf. 

Have to keep knitting there's not long to Christmas and it's going to be a home made christmas this year. No time for house work. I'll consign that to the lodger!

A Top up of Sun and Ozone

Last Sunday we had Youngest Granddaughter over for  a visit with her Dad, Number Three Son. The morning began bright and sunny so I suggested a trip to the coast for us all. Which coast? Why,  the North Norfolk coast of course, good old 'Sunny Hunny', or 'Peterborough on  Sea' properly known as Hunstanton. This resort was the haunt of our youth. Coats and binoculars hastily thrown in the boot of the car and we set off. The drive over to the coast was uneventful and for once unimpeded with traffic delays. 

Tides out and so is the sun.

During the journey the weather began to look distinctly grey and misty. Oh dear, had I misjudged the weather? Oh well the fresh air will do us all good. The sun eventually overcame the morning's mistiness and the skies cleared to a lovely cloudless blue. 

Father and daughter.

On reaching Hunstanton we found parking easily, at the center close to the beach. Not a feat usually so easily done on a sunny Sunday. The Sunday market and a Car Boot event was in full swing in the car park behind us so we all ambled off around the stalls. Other peoples junk doesn't really appeal to me overly much, but it's a good place to sell your own junk if you have the time and inclination.  By the time we had all seen enough of the market and boot stalls it was time for some lunch. It seems to be a tradition to have a fish and chip lunch when by the sea. So we went to Cassies, on The Green, and indulged. Tasty they were too. Possibly having the taste edge on our favourites chippy, Pa Jo's in Steveston, Canada!

A seaside fish & chip lunch.

Across the Green, down by the sea front,  the new generation of Middle Age Bikers congregate on a Sunday afternoon. Their bikes all gleaming paint and chrome, parked neatly side by side. The leather clad owners ambling along the prom or eating fish and chips 'al fresco'. Gone are the days of the young roudy bikers  tearing along the sea front. These sedate bikers are the reincarnation of the once lively youngsters,  reliving their youth on powerful bikes they would have died for in their youth. 

A new older generation of Bikers,

After lunch we walked along the sea front towards the cliffs. 'Himself and I at a sedate pace along the promenade and  Jason and Grace romping along the shore line, shell hunting and beach combing.

When the promenade that protects the town from the vicious North Sea gales run out 'Himself' has to go down to the sands by the cliffs to do a bit of beach combing as well.

The cliffs are left to the ravages of the North Sea
 and frequently crumble onto the beach.

I stay up on the Promenade and patiently wait for the for them to return. The ageing joints needed a rest period before the return walk. Eventually though I got fed up waiting and amble back until I came to a food van selling cups of tea, snacks and ice creams. They have tables and chairs set out. I need no prompting and cross to the van. No, not a sensible cup of tea, it has to be a soft swirly ice cream. By the time I had almost finished it the missing beach combers had turned up. 

We ambled back to the sea front prom. in front of where the car was parked. I opted to sit and soak up the remains of the afternoon sun while the others walked along to the Amusements at the other end of the promenade.  Plenty of other people had turned out to make the most of the warm sunny day and I spent a peaceful hour just people watching before retreating to the car and the Sunday newspapers. A lovely day not one that will be repeated any more this year but we do have an urge for sea air during the winter months, so who knows?