Lymm Heritage Centre is celebrating one of the village’s greatest sporting stories this summer with a special exhibition dedicated to local legend and Speedway World Champion Peter Collins, opening on Saturday 29 August.
Created by the volunteers at Lymm Heritage Centre, the exhibition marks 50 years since the Lymm-born rider became Individual Speedway World Champion in 1976 – and gives visitors the opportunity to discover the remarkable story behind one of Britain’s most celebrated speedway careers.
Peter Collins grew up in Lymm and went on to reach the very top of his sport. On 5 September 1976, aged just 22, he won the World Championship in Poland in front of an extraordinary crowd of around 120,000 people, becoming Britain’s first Individual Speedway World Champion since Peter Craven in 1962.
The new exhibition, ‘Peter Collins – Lymm’s Sporting Legend’, opens at Lymm Heritage Centre on Saturday 29 August 2026, just days before the 50th anniversary of that historic victory, and runs until December
Visitors will be able to explore Peter’s life and career, from a determined eight-year-old who dreamed of becoming a World Champion to his success on the international stage.
Among the exhibits will be the World Championship-winning bike, alongside racing leathers, trophies and previously unseen memorabilia – bringing the story of a local boy who became a sporting hero back home to Lymm.
50 years – and another extraordinary summer
The anniversary has an added sense of nostalgia this year. Peter’s World Championship victory came at the end of the famous summer of 1976, remembered for its prolonged heat and drought.
Fifty years later, Britain is once again experiencing an exceptionally hot and dry summer, making the timing of the exhibition particularly poignant.
For many visitors, the exhibition will provide an opportunity not only to revisit a landmark moment in British sporting history, but also to remember the people, places and events that shaped Lymm during that era.
Volunteers keeping Lymm’s stories alive
At the heart of the exhibition is the work of Lymm Heritage Centre and its team of volunteers, who give their time to research, preserve and share the stories of the village and its people.
Run entirely by volunteers, the Centre brings Lymm’s history to life through changing exhibitions, its archive and collection, education activities, research and community events.
From researching photographs and documents to conserving material, creating exhibitions and welcoming visitors, the volunteers play an invaluable role in ensuring Lymm’s heritage is not simply preserved, but made accessible and engaging for future generations.
The Peter Collins exhibition is the latest example of that work – taking a story with international sporting significance and revealing the very local beginnings behind it.
“Peter Collins’ story is an extraordinary part of Lymm’s heritage. Fifty years ago, someone who had grown up here in the village became World Champion on one of the biggest stages in his sport.
“Our volunteers have put a huge amount of work into bringing together the photographs, memorabilia and stories behind Peter’s career, and we hope people from Lymm and much further afield will come along, see the exhibition and help us celebrate a very special piece of local history.” – Peter Graham- Centre Trustee and Exhibition Co-ordinator
The Peter Collins exhibition follows another major sporting exhibition at the Centre this summer celebrating the 60th anniversary of Brazil’s 1966 World Cup team staying in Lymm.
Together, the exhibitions demonstrate the surprising breadth of stories connected to the village – and the role Lymm Heritage Centre and its volunteers play in uncovering and sharing them.
Visit the exhibition
Peter Collins – Lymm’s Sporting Legend Opens: Saturday 29 August 2026 Venue: Lymm Heritage Centre, 1 Legh Street, Lymm, WA13 0DA Admission: Free – donations welcome
The exhibition will feature Peter Collins’ World Championship-winning bike, racing leathers, trophies and memorabilia, including items that have not previously been on public display.
Visitors can also discover more about Lymm and its fascinating history through the Centre’s permanent and changing displays.
www.lymmhic.co.uk
