It's All About Sleeves

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1897: Many ladies of Peterborough would have given careful attention to a small piece in this week's Advertiser.

FASHIONS IN SLEEVES: we learn from Myra's Journal (of dress and fashion) that the Spring sleeves promise to be very pretty. The new sleeves are tight, with a slight fullness or a small drapery at the shoulder. The best dressmakers try as much as possible to cut drapery and sleeve together, as the effect is always better. Ruffled sleeves remain fashionable, and tucked sleeve is daily becoming more prevalent. There is little doubt that the tucks will play an important part in Spring modes, just as they are doing with Winter evening dresses.

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

A Hill in the Middle of Peterborough!

1736

Information

For some time during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, the market place in Peterborough was known as Market Hill.

The earliest reference from the papers is an advert from 1736 for the letting of 'An old-accustom'd Grocer's Shop... situate upon the Market Hill in Peterborough'.

A reference to the Talbot Inn from 1774 states it is 'on the market hill'. This continued until an 1898 reference to J. A. Bingham, Auctioneer of Market Hill, Peterborough. Currently the area is known as Cathedral Square.

Cambridge and Chatteris still use the word hill for their market places. It certainly is an odd choice of word for towns in areas with little or no hills!

Source: Stamford Mercury, Thursday 5th August 1736, page 4, col 1