Recollections of Millfield and New England during the 1970s by Del Singh

The February meeting of The Local History Society was well attended. Our Speaker, Deljit Singh, a Peterborian with Asian Sikh ancestry, is a locally well-known Youtube sensation and a self-styled ‘Accidental Historian’. Del,  in collaboration with Peterborough Presents, (a group that works with communities and artists to create great art across the city that is fun, diverse, and most importantly, relevant to local residents) presented a video tour around his local area of Millfield and New England. Beginning in Crowell Road where he was born, his narrative included his nostalgic and often amusing recollections of growing up in the area during the 1970s and 80s, including local businesses and people. He included historical knowledge of iconic buildings left in the area and some of those that had been demolished but were fondly remembered.

Del had recorded and filmed four short videos of his local haunts and the area leading into the City centre. Initially, the first one was an experimental video loaded up to the video platform Youtube and was astounded by the number of viewings the footage received. This prompted Peterborough Presents to apply for funding to make the subsequent videos.

It’s gratifying to see our city’s recent history being recorded by enterprising people such as Del Singh and the local photographer Chris Porz. The evening was enjoyed by all and our thanks go to Del for giving us a thoroughly entertaining evening.

You can find Dels Magical History Tours on the Peterborough Presents website here https://peterboroughpresents.org/current-projects/