If you’re a fan of cars, bikes or motorsport in general, you might’ve heard of Peterborough. Known as the Cathedral City because of its beautiful Gothic Revival buildings, it is located in the north of England where the River Humber meets the River Nene. If not, it might be a coincidence that the city’s name sounds like ‘peterborough speedway’.
The answer might be yes! Set amidst a backdrop of lush green rolling countryside, the city is home to the spectacular Peterborough Cathedral, as well as a range of stunning 18th-century palaces, castles and stately homes. It is also a base for the annual Knaresborough Triathlon, which takes place every last week of June. It wouldn’t be a trip to Britain if we didn’t throw a bike race around somewhere, would it?
Speaking of which, let’s take a look at tonight’s racing schedule and see if there’s anything that might interest you.
What Is On Tonight At The Cathedral?
The action kicks off tonight at 7:00 pm local time with the Knaresborough Triathlon, which is an ‘adult’ Olympic-distance event involving three different exercises (with some people doing a ‘dual’) that take place on the same day. The bike, run and swim legs each last for 15 km (9.3 miles), and the full run takes around one hour to complete. It is a certified ‘black-track’ event, which means that it takes place on unpaved roads. As you’d expect, the weather plays a huge role in how competitive the race is going to be. If you’d like to know more, you can visit the event’s website here.
The following evening sees the ‘main’ event, the Peterborough Speedway, take place at the Hockworthe Campus. This is an annual meeting point for fans of the sport, and racing enthusiasts from all over the world come here to see the stars of tomorrow (and sometimes of today) go head-to-head. Since it is an ‘open’ meeting, anyone can attend and get a ticket, no matter the stakeholder. In other words, the more humble spectator can feel right at home, and even get a ‘spot’ on the track directly behind the ‘poles’.
The meeting starts at 7:00 pm local time, and you can take a look at tonight’s programme here.
Is There Anything Else On Tonight At The Hockworthe Campus?
Apart from the fabulous racing, the Hockworthe Campus also plays host to a fantastic variety of other events that you might be interested in. From concerts and plays to comedy and magicians, if you are a fan of arts and culture, you will not get bored here. If you’d like to know more, you can visit the campus’s website here, where you can also get tickets to all of the above. Even if you’re not into arts and culture, the variety of things to do here is more than enough to keep you busy. On Thursday night, for example, you can attend a ‘punk’ night with the Amish Mafia at The Nest. This is a unique opportunity to see ‘alternative culture’ in its purest form, with a variety of bands and performers taking part in an open-mic session. If all of this still doesn’t appeal, there is always the pub next door for those seeking a drink. It’s a big choice, but with so much on offer, you might just find yourself somewhere near the front of the queue.
On the subject of the Amish Mafia, a bit of history about this group of pals from ‘Penny Plain’ who decided to have a night out on the town. The Amish community in the UK is thriving, with many people moving out of villages to establish themselves in large towns. These days, ‘Penny Plain’ has become quite a popular place to shop and eat in, and it is even said that the community there now number in the hundreds. You can’t really blame them for wanting to enjoy themselves after all this time living in isolation. So, to celebrate this important cultural moment for them, they decided to get their friends together for a night out in the city. This was pretty much the end of May, and a cool, dark night it was too. The temperature hovered around the freezing point, but that was completely irrelevant because they were having fun.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of what is on tonight at the Cathedral and the Hockworthe Campus, let’s get back to the subject at hand. Is there anything noteworthy on tonight’s programme that you might like to see?
The answer, in a nutshell, is yes. The season is now in full swing, and the premier racing event, the Peterborough Speedway, is just around the corner. If you’ve never been to a UK motorsport event, now might be the right opportunity to see how exciting they can be. If you’ve been to one or more previously, then you know what to expect – lots of fast cars, huge crowds and of course, fabulous racing. We can’t write much more without giving away too much, so let’s just say that if you’re a car enthusiast, you’re in for a real treat. If you’re looking for a real ‘buzz’ though, you might want to consider attending a comedy show or a play instead. There are plenty of things to do in Peterborough aside from racing, and although it might not seem like it right now, the UK has become a hotbed of activity as the season draws closer. Visiting a motorsport event alone might not be the wisest of ideas if you’re looking to make the most of your trip. Better to visit the local theatre, take a stroll through the city’s art galleries or catch a concert, perhaps with some mates. There are so many options available, and something for everyone. It would be a shame to miss out on any of it because you were too focused on one thing.
And let’s not forget about the restaurant option either. If you’ve ever been to a motorsport event, you will know exactly what kind of food and drink are available to buy and consume. It is not uncommon for teams and drivers to arrive early in the day, so they can get a decent bite to eat before taking on the night shift. If you want to grab a quick bite before the start of the race, the food trucks are always a good option. You can get everything from fish and chips to gourmet bangers and mash. It would be a shame if all of this culinary delights went to waste because you were too focused on the track. Of course, this is all dependent on your personal preferences. What kind of food and drink do you like to see at a motorsport event?
Apart from the fabulous food and drink, what else could you want at a motorsport event? Well, you could always take a look at the facilities. Having decent toilets is crucial, as is having enough changing rooms. It would be a real shame to have to miss out on the opportunity to change for the race because there were no changing rooms available. When it comes to parking, there should be plenty of spaces available, but a few too many cars can seriously slow down the evening’s event. This is why it is essential to have a parking app linked to your phone or tablet. It is far easier for the organizers to give out a few thousand parking passes than it is to sort out a permit parking scheme for the entire event. Another important factor to take into consideration is the location of the toilets. If they are too far away from the grandstand, then it can be difficult for even the fastest fans to reach in time. The last thing you want is to be held up in the toilet queue because there’s no one around to help you. This is why it’s important to choose an ‘event’ toilet rather than ‘general’ toilets. The former may be situated in the bowels of the stadium, while the latter might be located in a far-away part of the city. This can really add to the frustration if your ride is delayed because you had to wait for someone to finish ‘doing business’.