Hello from Peterborough

If you stood outside Ken Stimpson Academy in Werrington on Wednesday morning, you’d have seen a sea of shiny shoes and nervous smiles, parents juggling umbrellas and coffee cups, and one Year 7 clutching a clarinet case like it was armour.

Over in Cardea, parents compared uniform-labeling disasters—“I ironed the wrong name into the wrong shirt!” one mum laughed.

 It’s not just back-to-school, it’s back-to-routine: traffic jams in Bretton, giggles in Glinton, and that unmistakeable smell of new pencils in every bag. September has settled in.

The Cherry House, Werrington Village

Tucked inside a 400-year-old stone cottage on Church Street, The Cherry House is one of Peterborough’s best-loved fine dining restaurants.

Chef-Patron Andrew Corrick has run it since 1994, blending classic British and French cooking with seasonal, locally sourced produce.

The menu reflects that heritage: starters such as twice-baked cheese soufflé or seared scallops with pea purée sit alongside mains like fillet of beef with red wine jus or roast duck breast with seasonal vegetables.

 Desserts are elegant but comforting think crème brûlée, chocolate fondant, or a well-curated cheeseboard.

Inside, the low-beamed rooms glow with soft candlelight, perfect for anniversaries, birthdays, or just a treat at the end of a busy week.

Diners describe it as “posh but never pretentious”  the kind of place where the staff remember your name and every course feels like it has a story of its own.

It’s that combination of historic setting, thoughtful cooking, and genuine hospitality that keeps The Cherry House not just surviving, but thriving, in the heart of Werrington Village.

• Embe Soul Food & Drink, Cowgate — Nick Rutta’s Afro-Caribbean soul food has been a Peterborough staple since 2009. These days you’ll spot him popping up with Embe 2Go: reggae, spice, and a smile that says you’re always welcome.

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• Gurkha Lounge, Hampton — A stylish setting for Nepalese and Indian dishes that pack real flavour. Locals swear by the momo dumplings and goat curry — warming food that lingers long after the plates are cleared.

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• Squirrels Café, Fengate — Known to site workers and early risers as the go-to for hearty fry-ups and proper mugs of tea. Walk in tired, leave full, caffeinated, and caught up on the morning’s banter.

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• The Fruit & Veg Shop, Queensgate Arcade — From crisp British strawberries to exotic dragon fruit, this stall keeps shopping colourful and affordable. Perfect for brightening your basket after the weekly shop.

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 Netherton’s party HQ: The Grange Venue doubles as a community hub and event space—the clubhouse for Netherton United—with private hire, marquee setups and a five-star hygiene tea bar. Handy if you’re plotting an autumn knees-up.

Yaxley comfort bites: Nostra Café at Yaxley Centre leans old-school—think pies, mash and straight-talking service. Afternoon teas by phone order if you’re planning a treat.

Peterborough Soup Kitchen

At the heart of the city centre, Peterborough Soup Kitchen rolls out hot soup, sandwiches, and warm drinks to vulnerable people behind the library, every evening and weekend 365 days a year, no matter the weather.

It’s run entirely by volunteers, with 28 teams serving 50–70 guests daily. Last week, one volunteer shared, “It’s the smiles that keep us going—just knowing someone’s had a warm meal.”

With the cost-of-living rising, the Soup Kitchen’s role is more crucial than ever. If you can spare a few hours, donations, or a kind word text them “SPOTLIGHT” and we’ll connect you.

Paws & Whiskers (adopt locally)

From Woodgreen (Godmanchester): meet Delilah (Greyhound) polite, leggy, and partial to a sofa; and Bodie (Lurcher) soulful eyes, needs a calm match.

There’s also Cold Brew (cat)—mellow by name, mellow by nature.

 From RSPCA Block Fen (Wimblington): say hi to Pumpkin, Tabasco, or Frodo—names that tell you the staff care. Check listings before you travel and match carefully.

This newsletter is sponsored by

Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS)

This week we’re shining a light on Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS), the quiet connector helping over 500 local charities and volunteer groups with training, support, and funding advice. 

Normally, this space is reserved for paid sponsor partners who want to reach thousands of local readers while supporting Spotlight. If you’d like your business to feature here in a future issue, reply today and we’ll share our sponsor opportunities.

Eye gardeners are dropping off spare jam jars for neighbours who are knee-deep in chutney season; “Bring two, take one,” says a handwritten note on a gate.

In Werrington, parents swear by slow-cooker stew packs from local markets — “It basically cooks itself while we’re at football,” a dad laughed.

Queensgate’s summer craft run finishes this weekend last free sessions if you need a low-cost rainy-day plan.

And Cardea families are forming casual car-shares to cut the fuel spend on weekend activities;

WhatsApp chats hum with “who’s got spare seats?”

Autumn buyers are focused — many want to exchange before Christmas.

In Hampton and Cardea, three-beds near schools are moving quickest; highlight walkability, tidy the hallway, and set a warm lamp for viewings to sell the feeling as much as the floorplan.

If you’re unsure how to pitch photographs for “cosy not cluttered,” grab the local checklists and scripts from Home Seller Insider a small prep now saves weeks later.

In Bretton, a yoga teacher’s “September Stretch” class lifts the shoulders we all hunched over summer gardening, and pharmacy counters are already booking flu jabs city-wide; grab a slot before colds sweep classrooms.

For a simple skin reset, the honey-and-oat mask does the trick: “Smells like porridge, works like a charm,” said a Glinton mum.

Then walk Nene Park at dusk light fading, air clean it’s nature’s free facial.

The Smiths of Werrington have adopted a September ritual: apple-picking loops at Ferry Meadows and an improvised crumble when they get home.

“We argue about who climbed highest, then eat it warm with custard,” their dad said, not sorry at all.

If you’ve got younger ones, the final weekend of free craft sessions at Unity is a soft landing before homework routines bite again.

Craft & Create — leaf lanterns

Parnwell mums have sparked a jam-jar craze: press colourful leaves, glue them around a jar, drop in a tea-light and suddenly your kitchen glows like a mini harvest festival.

A child carried one into school and announced, “It’s better than an iPad nightlight.”

For grown-ups who fancy company while crafting, Project Abundance at The Green Backyard is running September workshops: apple pressing next week, flower pressing after.

Foodie Friday at Ferry Meadows (5 Sept) brings sizzling pans, music, and that lakeside sunset the sort of Friday that resets the week.

 On Sunday 7 Sept, Deafblind UK’s Rainbow Run colours those same paths with family energy; expect bright smiles and messy T-shirts.

Mid-month, Heritage Open Days unlock places you rarely see, from the Bishop’s Palace gardens to behind-the-scenes tours with local historians.

And late September, Oktoberfest promises Bavarian oom-pah and big shared tables back at Nene Park.

• Thursday 4 Sept – A couple of morning showers clear to cloud and bright spells. Highs of 19 °C, a jacket job if you’re heading out early.

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• Friday 5 Sept – Mostly cloudy with the odd sunny break. Around 20 °C by mid-afternoon — nice enough for Foodie Friday at Ferry Meadows.

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• Saturday 6 Sept – Cloudier with a chance of drizzle. Highs of 19 °C; brollies tucked under arms at GlintonFest won’t go amiss.

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• Sunday 7 Sept – Breezier, with sunny spells breaking through. Peaks at 21 °C; better for those long walks at Eye Green.

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• Monday 8 Sept – Overcast but dry for the school run. Around 18 °C.

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• Tuesday 9 Sept – Patchy cloud, light winds, highs of 20 °C a “windows open, not quite jumper” day.

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• Wednesday 10 Sept – Brightening up, sunshine by afternoon, 22 °C; summer’s curtain call, perhaps.

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In short: no heatwaves, no storms — just proper September: part-umbrella, part-sunglasses, sometimes both in the same pocket.

Council & Community

Bins: the council’s lookup has your precise day stick them out by 6:45am (yes, really). If your street’s had a change, this tool is the source of truth. Peterborough City Council

Neighbourhood policing: Peterborough East team hosts an online quarterly meeting for Dogsthorpe, Eastfield, Parnwell, Eastgate, Fengate & Boongate on Wed 24 Sept useful if you’ve got parking, litter or ASB grumbles brewing.

• Schools: Councillors debated catchment pressures in Werrington — one parent outside the civic offices sighed, “It feels like Hogwarts sorting hat, but with less magic.”

• Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce are reportedly house-hunting in Northeast Ohio, possibly eyeing a waterfront property after summer spent training and touring together.

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• The romance and maybe a relocation is seemingly blossoming. YouTube+

• Brit + Co+6

• Adele has coyly teased plans to return to education post-Vegas residency—she mused about studying history in a recent show, charming fans with a hint of academia in the wings. (No direct media source yet, but this was widely covered in post-concert chatter—keep an eye for confirmation)

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• Britain's Strictly Come Dancing reveals are already sparking buzz behind the glitter—rumour has it one pro is struggling with their celebrity partner’s dance chemistry, making rehearsals feel more tango than two-step. (TV gossip pages are simmering with this—watch this space for confirmation.)

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• David Beckham was recently seen sampling vegan burgers at “Filth” in Shoreditch and singing its praises as “insane delicious.” A rare treat for plant-based fast food lovers and a spark of fun in foodie circles

• Thursday 4th Sept:

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• The Dog House (Channel 4, 8pm) returns from Woodgreen near Godmanchester — tissues at the ready.

 Long Lost Family: The Mother & Baby Home Scandal, 9pm, ITV1 — part two of the special; difficult, vital television handled with care

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• Friday 5th Sept:

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• Have I Got News for You – Best Bits repeats, easy

•  Friday chuckles with Jack Dee warming up Peterborough the same night.

• Gogglebox, 9pm, Channel 4 — the nation’s armchair critics return; snacks at the ready.

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• Weekend binge: Who Do You Think You Are? (BBC iPlayer) — Sheridan Smith’s episode (filmed in Doncaster) has plenty of emotional grit.

Sport picks

• World Cup Qualifiers on the Beeb: Wales play Thu 3pm, Northern Ireland Thu 7:45pm; Scotland Fri 7:45pm. Perfect sofa-shout material.

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• Early-autumn in Peterborough means layers that earn their keep: a light knit over a tee and a rain shell you can scrunch into a tote.
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• Swap sandals for chunky trainers or ankle boots and you’re covered for a school-gate sprint or a city-centre curry after a show. 
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• Charity shops are restocking—keep an eye out for retro sports tops and oversized scarves; they sell fast when the evening air turns crisp.
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• Transitional layers — trench coats and oversized scarves are back on Bridge Street windows. A sales assistant at Queensgate joked, “It’s coat season — but no one’s ready to give up sandals.”

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• Bold bags — hot pink totes and oversized clutches are stealing the show at River Island and Zara; you’ll spot them by Cathedral Square.

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• Vintage gold — St John’s Charity Shop had a queue when a rack of retro Adidas track tops went out last week.

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• One student grinned: “Better than Depop — and cheaper.”

Cresset double-header: Chris Stapleton tribute Thu, Jack Dee Fri—Bretton will be lively.

• GlintonFest is Sat 6 Sept—village bands, stalls, and that “bump-into-everyone” feeling. 

• Pilgrimage to Castor from the Cathedral Sat 9am—mindful miles with lifts or bus back.

• Heritage Open Days (from Sat 13 Sept)—Bishop’s Palace opens its doors; Flag Fen has family activities.

• Foodie Friday at Lakeside is Fri 5–8pm—street food + music; bring layers.

Local Property Prices

Here are verified average property values across key Peterborough areas (all figures from reliable local property and ONS data):

• Peterborough overall – Average house price is approximately £228,000 as of June 2025, up 1.6% year-on-year. Zoopla

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• Werrington – Average sold price over the past year is around £238,000. Detached homes averaged £303,700, semi-detached ~£223,000, terraces ~£176,600.

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• Yaxley – Average property price is about £290,000, with detached homes reaching ~£358,900 and terraced around £197,200.

•  Varbes+

• Marholm (rural area) – Higher-value zone: around £419,000, significantly above other nearby villages like Glinton (~£205,000). 

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What this means for sellers:

If you're listing in Werrington or Yaxley this autumn, anchor your price to these real averages.

Highlight local strengths like rural charm (Marholm) or value comparative to city-wide pricing.

Buyers are holding back but if your home’s priced right and connects to these benchmarks, it’ll stand out.

Thinking of selling your home this year or just want to stay informed sign up for the Peterborough Home Seller Insider  and get it delivered every week to your inbox

A good week here isn’t flashy—it’s neighbours sharing a wave, a volunteer remembering your name, and a quiet park bench that seems to keep your secrets. If someone you know quietly makes Peterborough brighter, tell us. We’ll give them their moment in the Spotlight