Some things never change

Peterborough Cathedral is the jewel in the city’s crown and is regarded as one of the finest in the country. Among its many admirers is Prince Charles who has visited it on several occasion and made donations to various appeals.

Ambitious plans and a major fund-raising effort are in place to develop the cathedral to tie in with its 900th anniversary in 2018.

The cathedral has been an ever-present and dominant feature of the city for centu- ries.

All around i t the city changes and grows – but perhaps not as much as we think.

Look at the top three pictues taken from almost the exact spot on top of St John’s Church.

I don’t know the date of the picture on the left but the lack of cars and a horse and cart give a clue.

And look at the impressive sign on the shop “Lennards world famed boots & shoes’’.

The picture in the middle was taken in May 1988 with Pizza Land in the premises previously occupied by the old shoe shop.

I know when the last picture was taken because photographer David Lowndes was despatched last Thursday to complete the sequence.

What surprised me is how similar it all looks.

The big picture to the right was also taken by David and is one of the best aerial shots I have seen of the city centre and the cathedral.

It was taken on April 9,1989 as part of a story about a new plane service called Brightland Flightseeing. It operated out of Conington airfield and offered a 20-minute flight and a bird’s eye of the city

Judging by the large marquee in the grounds the then bishop must have been hosting an event.

The final picture is a view from the Embankment with cattle grazing in the foreground. This picture was taken about 1917.