Look local: The Peterborough effect

For hundreds of years Peterborough was regarded as a small market town with little development or appetite for trade. Yet as the industrial revolution swung into action, the cathedral city became one of the leading manufacturers of bricks in Britain, an accolade which endured for a large part of the 20th century. In the late 60s, Peterborough’s strategic location, placed 80 miles between London and Birmingham, meant the city benefitted from government funded redevelopment to many of its streets, schools and houses.

Independent practice Sask Optics is located on Lincoln Road, one of the city’s busiest roads. Owner and resident optometrist Shockat Patel says: ‘My practice is slap bang middle of Nigel Farage’s propaganda video. On a single day I will test people from more countries than a Eurovision song contest. Polish, Czech, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian, Portuguese, Turkish, Kurdish, Afghans.’