We recently had some guests visit from Peterborough, England and they brought us a special gift... a book, "Peterborough Through Time, A Second Selection" about their Peterborough.  The book, written by June and Vernon Bull and first published in 2011, gives some of the history of the town, primarily through photos, illustrations, and postcards from the past and present, with short descriptions.  As I looked through the book, it wasn't the differences between the "then" and "now" photos that fascinated me as much as the similarities, and I couldn't help but think about the similarities and differences between "here" (Peterborough, New Hampshire) and "there" (Peterborough, England).

Although the two towns share the same name, their size and age are quite different.  According to Wikipedia, Peterborough, England has a population of about 184,500 (2007, estimated) whereas Peterborough, New Hampshire is home to only 6,284 (2010 US Census).  Human settlement in Peterborough, England dates back to before the Bronze Age, with the name Peterborough being adopted sometime after the 10th century.   In New Hampshire, Peterborough was first permanently settled in 1749 and later incorporated on January 17, 1760.  As for similarities, both communities lie along rivers - in England, it is the River Nene, and here in New Hampshire it is the Contoocook and Nubanusit Rivers.  Not surprisingly, it was those rivers that helped developed the early economies - Peterborough, England was known for brickmaking and other manufacturing, whereas Peterborough, New Hampshire first developed as a mill town.  Another interesting connection between the two cities is mentioned in a book on Peterborough, New Hampshire's history called "Our Changing Town, Peterborough 1939 - 1989, Vol. 1 Narrative" that describes a friendship between the two cities that developed during the 1940s.  In addition to raising money to purchase an ambulance for the city in England, schoolchildren and residents exchanged letters and visited, including stops by the Historical Society and the Monadnock Chorus while on trips to the UK.

Although we don't have full sets of corresponding photos of "then" and "now", we have collected a few vintage postcards over the years so I thought I'd share them here... along with some photos we've taken ourselves.

View from East Hill, postmark on the back dated 1927
View along Grove Street, 2008 (not the same perspective as above)
Peterborough Town Library, 1906
Peterborough Town Library, 2006 (Portico added in 1914)

Mount Monadnock, 1916 or earlier
Mount Monadnock from Miller State Park, 2010


And I must admit, I probably spent way too much time doing background research for this blog posting, but I found quite a few interesting resources for old and new photos and the histories of both Peterboroughs (England and New Hampshire) and more.  If you are interested, here are some of the links:

www.peterboroughimages.co.uk (England)
The Monadnock Center for History and Culture at the Peterborough Historical Society (NH)
Exploring Peterborough, New Hampshire (Yankee, blog)
The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library (Historical Maps)

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Peterborough’s connections to the arts and history will shine over the next few days as the Third International Thornton Wilder Conference brings scholars and theater artists from around the world to our town. The event, being held July 12 – 14, 2018, will feature presentations, panel and roundtable discussions, and readings. Many of the events are open to the public, but there are a limited number of tickets available and reservations are required. (Go to bit.ly/TWConference for information and reservations.)

Thornton Wilder (1897 – 1975) is known as one of America’s most celebrated writers, winning three Pulitzer Prizes for his writing (for novel “The Bridge of San Luis Rey” in 1928, and plays “Our Town” and “The Skin of Our Teeth” in 1938 and 1943), and the U.S.

I like baking. I like trying new recipes. Sometimes I like taking a new look at an older recipe to see if I can tweak it to try a new flavor or technique... or sometimes my goal is to simplify it. This is a story about the latter.

Recently, I made a batch of homemade marshmallows as a gift for my Mom. She loves them! (And if you've never had them yourself, you need to try them...

Recently a friend of ours gave us a small book, simply titled “Monadnock Region in Southern New Hampshire” published by the Monadnock Region Association. Although I can’t find any date for the publication of the book itself, the map in the back is dated 1938.

“Not all who wander are lost.” – J.R.R Tolkien

As hikers, kayakers, and general outdoor enthusiasts, Rob and I are always interested in adding to our repertoire of activities that give us the opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy nature. We’ve talked about geocaching in this blog before. It is an activity where participants use a GPS device to navigate to a hidden object, typically a container that has a log book and oftentimes “swag” (trinkets or other small items to trade).

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the 13th Annual Currier & Ives Cookie Tour held on December 9th. This year, our cookie was a peanut butter-filled chocolate sandwich cookie we called "Santa's Buttons"...

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it seemed like a good time to share some thoughts on pumpkins. First of all, I love them whole. I love to look at them. They are so bright and cheery and just scream "Fall is here!" So when I start thinking about decorating for fall, I usually buy two or three sugar pumpkins because I know they can do double duty. I work them into my indoor decorations, usually with other winter squashes or gourds, and get to enjoy their beauty...

I LOVE the Fall! I know it isn't everyone's favorite season. It can be sad to see the warm and sunny summer days coming to an end, knowing that the snow and cold weather will be here soon... but I can't help it...

Looking for something to do that's out of the ordinary?  How about glassblowing?

Earlier this summer, for Paula's birthday, we invited our niece to come visit us in Peterborough and take the Introduction to Glassblowing class at Terrapin Glassblowing Studio in Jaffrey.  This two-hour hands-on class promised to teach us the fundamentals of glassblowing, including tools, safety and equipment...

Peterborough may not be on the ocean, but when guests are staying with us for multiple days, the New Hampshire seacoast is a great option for a day trip.  And while you're there, a whale watching excursion can be an awesome experience!

Earlier this month, we booked an afternoon tour for ourselves and family with Granite State Whale Watch out of Rye Harbor and it was great!

The boat ride out to the whale sighting grounds took us through the scenic Isles of Shoals.

Blueberry season is my favorite time of year… and it’s here!  Don’t get me wrong, I love strawberry season too, but it seems so short.  In New Hampshire, we are lucky to have a long blueberry season.  Between the low bush, high bush, and numerous cultivated varieties, we can pick from mid-July all the way into September.

Having the river just steps off the back of the B&B, we often get the question "Are there fish in there"?  The answer has always been "yes". We know because we see them when we go in the water. We also know that the state Fish & Game Department stocks MacDowell Lake upstream from us.  But the few guests who have tossed a line into the river have never gotten anything more than a few "nibbles"...

Oftentimes our repeat guests arrive at the B&B and the first question they ask is "So...what's new in town?"  During this past year, there actually has been quite a bit that's "new".  Much of it is food related, so we thought this would be a good time to give everyone an update.

Right in downtown there have been two new additions to the food scene: Thai Cafe and Cooper's Hill Public House.  And south of downtown we have Parker and Son's Coffee House and Cafe.

There's a new event coming to the Monadnock Region... the first-ever Dublin Market & Bazaar!  The event will be held at Cricket Hill Farm on Route 101 in Dublin on Saturday, June 10 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM and on Sunday, June 11 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission to the event is free; on-site parking is $3 per car.  The event, hosted by Maria Amarosa and Jonathan Driscoll, owners Vintage Label Co.

The Peterborough Players are celebrating their 84th season of bringing award winning professional summer theater to the Monadnock Region.  This year's lineup of performances include the classic comedy Arsenic and Old Lace and the hilarious Mel Brooks Broadway smash hit comedy The Producers.

As always, Little River B&B is offering a Getaway Package that includes an overnight stay at the B&B, dinner for two at Del Rossi's Trattoria and two tickets to the show.

The entire Monadnock Region is known as a mecca for antiquing and in just the past few years the antiques scene has exploded in Peterborough.

April is the beginning of Spring which is like a second foliage season...instead of oranges and reds you get greens and many other colors as the flowers start to bloom.

Looking for a get-away in April?  In addition to the Arts on Screen series continuing at Peterborough Players and the live music events at Harlow's Pub, there is the Monadnock International Film Festival (MonIFF) in Keene and magic, dancing and big name folk music coming to Peterborough.

Today, 3/14, is Pi Day!  It is the day when geeks around the world (myself included), and those who like a good pun, celebrate the mathematical constant Pi (the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter = 3.14159...) with actual pie.  Apple, blueberry, banana cream, pizza...

A guest from the West Coast recently stayed with us and brought us some lovely limes from her very own lime tree.  I know, I know... many of you are thinking... margaritas! But I have never made margaritas at home, and frankly, I like mine served with fresh chips and salsa on the side! So instead, I decided I'd try some cookies I could share with guests.

After a quick Google search, I discovered that Cook's Illustrated magazine had published a Chewy Coconut-Lime Sugar Cookie recipe in 2010.

March is "Maple Season"...a great reason to get to the Monadnock Region and enjoy a get-away.

Looking for a get-away in March?  In addition to the Arts on Screen series continuing at Peterborough Players and the live music events at Harlow's Pub, there is also a special appearance by Ken Sheldon (of Frost Heaves fame) and lots of sweet maple syrup.

March 24th & 25th is Maple Syrup Open House Weekend.

Looking for a get-away in February?

As we mentioned in the January Get-Away blog posting...its still winter so you can still get outside and enjoy the great outdoors.  Check out the free guided hikes and x-country skiing the awesome Harris Center leads on the events list below).

A special for the winter...stay with us, bring your skis (downhill or x-country) and save $10 per night off our standard rate.
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Hi everyone and welcome to our blog for Little River Bed and Breakfast, we will try to keep you updated and informed on things happening around the B&B, Peterborough, the Monadnock region, and New Hampshire. Feel free to comment on anything we write.

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