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chuffed
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« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2018, 17:18:14 » |
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I thought it was Didcot-in-the-mire. Or was I thinking of another word ?. Either way it has to be a candidate for the most boring town in England. One redeeming (perhaps the only one) feature is of course, the Didcot Railway Centre.
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« Last Edit: March 19, 2018, 17:26:11 by chuffed »
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Bmblbzzz
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« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2018, 17:35:12 » |
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Perhaps not the only redeeming feature: there's the view of the Remaining Iconic Cooling Towers (best seen from either a passing train or the top of the Downs), and the Wittenham Clumps. As for the sign, I'm sure it's a story that first surfaced some time ago. Possibly it's meant to indicate the Daily Mail distribution centre and its relationship with reality.  |
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Waiting at Pilning for the midnight sleeper to Prague.
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CyclingSid
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« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2018, 19:32:16 » |
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They did try and get the name changed to Didcot-on-Thames (to put the house prices up?), but it was rather a long way from the Thames. I always thought there was an opportunity, with the Daily Mail printing works and the power station being so close, for an alternative fuel for the power station.
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didcotdean
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« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2018, 19:55:46 » |
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It was Abingdon which added the on Thames bit. Don't know anyone who uses it apart from the Town Council. The authority campaign in Didcot was to remove Parkway from the station name. Told it would be too expensive. Somehow it wasn't too expensive to rename Bicester Town to Bicester Village, but I digress. Didcot of course was assessed to be the most normal place in England. Whether this is a good or a bad thing I'm not really sure  |
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Oberon
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« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2018, 21:52:45 » |
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I wonder what strange science they use to measure normality?
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ellendune
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« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2018, 22:08:04 » |
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It was Abingdon which added the on Thames bit. Don't know anyone who uses it apart from the Town Council.
I thought it was Staines sorry I mean Staines upon Thames but I see that Abingdon - sorry Abingdon-on-Thames also did it in 2012 |
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Rob on the hill
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« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2018, 22:46:55 » |
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Quite a bit of effort has gone into this to replicate the font.
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didcotdean
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« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2018, 23:14:35 » |
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I wonder what strange science they use to measure normality?
Typical would be more accurate I suppose. Some research firm crunched the numbers and Didcot closely resembled the statistical “median” for a number of factors, such as age distribution, ethnicity, employment type and political engagement. Although IIRC▸ seemed when dug into that they had only analysed a few streets in the centre (more or less the Northbourne district). Most of the names were added on Friday according to people claiming to have spotted a man doing it. He was wearing hi vis, so went unchallenged |
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martyjon
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« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2018, 06:29:28 » |
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It was Abingdon which added the on Thames bit. Don't know anyone who uses it apart from the Town Council.
I thought it was Staines sorry I mean Staines upon Thames but I see that Abingdon - sorry Abingdon-on-Thames also did it in 2012 Anyone know when Kingston, the one near Twickenham, got its '-on-Thames'. |
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stuving
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« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2018, 09:21:18 » |
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It was Abingdon which added the on Thames bit. Don't know anyone who uses it apart from the Town Council.
I thought it was Staines sorry I mean Staines upon Thames but I see that Abingdon - sorry Abingdon-on-Thames also did it in 2012 Anyone know when Kingston, the one near Twickenham, got its '-on-Thames'. Kingston is one of the older ones, though of course it is (as befits a Royal Borough) upon Thames. Staines is certainly a newcomer to the upon Thames set, consciously not choosing to be -on-Thames like Henley, Walton, or Whitchurch. Sunbury seems to be a part timer, and some places have lost their (up)onThamesness. Looking at an OS▸ 1 inch map sheet 170 (London S. W.) with a general revision date of 1963, I can see: Richmond Upon Thames Kingston Upon Thames Walton-on-Thames Sunbury Staines Note the scarcity of hyphens, and that some of these are boroughs while the townships' names are unappended. However, this map has a roads revision date of 1965, the year of London's local government reorganisation. I think think that Richmond first became upon Thames as a London Borough, Kingston was one already (as a borough in Surrey), and the rest are outside Greater London. |
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ChrisB
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« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2018, 11:50:05 » |
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The authority campaign in Didcot was to remove Parkway from the station name. Told it would be too expensive. Somehow it wasn't too expensive to rename Bicester Town to Bicester Village, but I digress. Rumour has it that this change was sponsored by a certain outlet sales outfit....but of course, proof will never surface. |
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Oberon
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« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2018, 21:48:27 » |
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Oh heck, let's go the whole hog - Kemble on Thames..
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