1941: On this day, 814 20-year-old city girls responded to their call-up papers - although some forgot their registration card! Many of the girls had come with their mothers, while others had their boyfriends for company. Some are described as arriving 'with an army escort on either side'. Quite a few perambulators are also recorded as being parked outside the building. (Gray, David, Peterborough at War 1939-1945, David Gray, 2011)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.
Peterborough Literary Institute was first established in 1833 and provided rooms to read books, periodicals and papers to wealthier men in the city. It was situated in rooms on Wentworth Street, which at this point was a dog-legged road linking Narrow Bridge Street and Priestgate. It would have occupied a good deal of space because the library contained 'over 2,000 volumes' and the reading room was 'furnished with about 30 Daily and Weekly papers and upwards of a dozen monthly periodicals.' Entry to the Institute was by subscription of 14 shillings, 10 shillings or 5 shillings, but the lowest subscription only allowed that man to access the library. It was open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.
The Literary Institute was still running in 1876 and had a president as 'Lord Bishop of the Diocese' as well as Vice Presidents S Mayor Esq. and W Wilkins Esq. William Eaton was noted as the 'Secretary and Collector.'
Reference:
Peterborough Directory 1876, p 10
Image by Stocksnap from Pixabay