Exotic place names in the UK

[The Johnster]

8 minutes ago, Bishop of Welchester said:

 

 

 

 

When I moved to South Wales in the 1980s, I discovered that what I had always known as 'onion johnnies' were called 'Johnny Onions', but seemed more prolific there.

 

There is a museum of onion johnnies in Roscoff.

I am glad they are commemorated and will visit the museum if I'm ever in that neck of the woods.  Roscoff looks like a nice little place.

[Fat Controller]

57 minutes ago, The Johnster said:

I am glad they are commemorated and will visit the museum if I'm ever in that neck of the woods.  Roscoff looks like a nice little place.

In Llanelli, they were known as 'Johhny Weknows' - try saying it and you'll be pretty close to the French pronunciation. Brittany Ferries were originally set up by groups of Breton farmers to export agricultural produce, and had special arrangements for the onion sellers. The problem was that the boats went from Plymouth, and getting there was not easy from places like Newcastle. Our one (Lynne used to translate stuff for him) missed the last train on one of his visits, and so had to take a taxi from Newcastle to Plymouth. I don't think he had much money left for the winter after that. 

[runs as required]

talking of that L&Y top right hand corner of Lancashire [Nelson]: Rose Grove always sounded so sweet smelling - as optimistic sounding a place name as Greenland (supposedly named by Viking explorers after an earlier bunch had got a rollicking back home in Danemark for naming Iceland - the island not the shop)

Edited March 20, 2020 by runs as required

[Pacific231G]

2 hours ago, boxbrownie said:

I know they popped across and sold in Kent, Sussex and London particularly but had no idea they were determined enough to cycle all the way to Wales 

They started on foot, bicycles came later. Each company of onion sellers would send someone over just before the harvest to rent a barn or storeroom to use as a local base and having brought the first batch themsleves would get further supplies shipped over. In the early days they crossed from Roscoff on small ships so I guess would have focussed on ports that would have covered the south coast and probably the Bristol Channel but further afield as well. Before the railways came it was quite possibly an easier journey to Britain by sea than by road to Paris and in any case they could get a better price for their onions. 

There's a pretty good account of the trade here

https://www.thelocal.fr/20191126/so-why-do-we-think-the-french-all-wear-berets

 

Roscoff has an attractively compact terminus station that used to have a through service to Paris though latterly it only saw local trains. Sadly though, the line from Morlaix was closed last year by a landslip or something and has now been "definitively" closed.  The terminus would  make a very attractive model.

 images Creative commons by lmjst & Mathieu ALLORY 

Edited March 20, 2020 by Pacific231G

[Gwiwer]

6 hours ago, 37114 said:

Nempnett Thrubwell was also immortalised in a Worzel song

The line is "Oh the moon shines bright on Nempnett Thrubwell" from the song "Up The Clump" and dates from the late Adge (Alan John or "AJ") Cutler's days fronting the Wurzels

 

 

[iands]

54 minutes ago, runs as required said:

talking of that L&Y top right hand corner of Lancashire [Nelson]: Rose Grove always sounded so sweet smelling - as optimistic sounding a place name as Greenland (supposedly named by Viking explorers after an earlier bunch had got a rollicking back home in Danemark for naming Iceland - the island not the shop)

Similarly misnamed Brightside (Sheffield). 

[Gwiwer]

27 minutes ago, iands said:

Similarly misnamed Brightside (Sheffield). 

 

And Port Sunlight.  Sounds OK until you get there

[The Johnster]

Mentioned a few pages back, but I refer you to Fairyland, in Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot.  A hell hole.

[Doncaster Green]

If you want windswept desolation try Gibraltar Point on the mouth of the Wash.  Even with the dubious delights of Mablethorpe and Skegness just up the road it doesn't come anywhere close to its namesake on the tip of Spain.

 

John

[runs as required]

1 hour ago, Gwiwer said:

The line is "Oh the moon shines bright on Nempnett Thrubwell" from the song "Up The Clump" and dates from the late Adge (Alan John or "AJ") Cutler's days fronting the Wurzels

Down a bit on the old East Lancashire Railway (now  a  born again preserved railway) and you get to Summerseat which I've always thought sounds a bit Wurzelie

but mebbe not as much as 

Furtling in the Waddlemarsh

dh

[HKG Steve]

22 hours ago, 5050 said:

Near Wrexham you can live in Hope (but die in Caergwrle)

and get buried in Mold!

[runs as required]

Just now, HKG Steve said:

and get buried in Mold!

Cor wen ?

[Crisis Rail]

1 hour ago, runs as required said:

Down a bit on the old East Lancashire Railway (now  a  born again preserved railway) and you get to Summerseat which I've always thought sounds a bit Wurzelie

but mebbe not as much as 

Furtling in the Waddlemarsh

dh

 

Summerseat is a very picturesque area as far as the industriality of East Lancashire goes.

There once was a good Pub called the Waterside not far from Summerseat halt  which unfortunately became part of the River Irwell in the floods about 5 years back.

[96701]

7 hours ago, Crisis Rail said:

 

Nelson and the delights of Brierfield - stranded there till the dawn hours in June 1978 after a Yorkshire bash went pear shaped.

 

There was only so much Dairy Milk you could stand.

 

Character building.

My only 2 totems..........

[gismorail]

On 19/03/2020 at 17:38, 5050 said:

In the late 60's/early 70's police in Bradford had new cars delivered with the registration beginning with PYG.  They were quickly changed...........

 

Near Holmfirth there's Paris (" where did you cycle to last Sunday?  I went to Paris for lunch")

 

Cholmondeley in Cheshire is pronounced 'Chumley' - but no trace of 'Warner'.

 

And in Bradford there is the Idle Working Mans Club.

 

Near Wrexham you can live in Hope (but die in Caergwrle)

 

It's a funny old thing the English language with all it's silent bit's and regarding your last comment about Hope there's a village just up the Dee valley called Cynwyd where the first Ifor Williams trailer factory is sited and were most of the residents who live there work in the factory. Thus the local saying ''Born in Cynwyd die in Cynwyd '' 

[big jim]

4 hours ago, gismorail said:

there's a village just up the Dee valley called Cynwyd where the first Ifor Williams trailer factory is sited and were most of the residents who live there work in the factory. Thus the local saying ''Born in Cynwyd die in Cynwyd '' 

going to school in Bala, career advice was pretty much, boys, Ivor Williams trailers or Girls, Ackroyds Pyjama factory 

 

and god forbid you ever tried to ride your Push bike down the corwen to Bala ‘back road’ at Ivor Williams knocking off time, like being stuck in the middle of a stage from the world rally championship 

[gismorail]

5 minutes ago, big jim said:

going to school in Bala, career advice was pretty much, boys, Ivor Williams trailers or Girls, Ackroyds Pyjama factory 

 

and god forbid you ever tried to ride your Push bike down the corwen to Bala ‘back road’ at Ivor Williams knocking off time, like being stuck in the middle of a stage from the world rally championship 

Jim your spot on with those memories ...only they are still true to today. I believe from what I've been told that there are still people who work in the Trailer factory that have learn't to drive ....how mad is that .

Ackroyds Pyjama Factory is still going strong as every now and then the company I drive for (Williams Haulage ) get asked to take a load of finished product to one of the big super market RDC's . I believe though all the pyjama's are out-sourced from the far east and it's just one big packing factory now !!!

The other more recent big employer in Bala is the 'Cake Crew' where they make 'cup cakes' for all the major supermarkets which Williams Haulage do all the logistics for ..... every day we take a Double Decker trailer with 52 pallets on board .......now that's one big 'Sugar Rush' ......

[Andy Kirkham]

On 20/03/2020 at 13:24, iands said:

Similarly misnamed Brightside (Sheffield). 

 

And Coatbridge Sunnyside

[big jim]

Funnily enough my wife bought me a welsh dragon chocolate lolly and chocolate bar for Easter which were produced in Bala 

 

when I lived there, well Llandderfel, Lilliput models was still on the industrial estate and the old German? Guy was in the process of building a huge model railway in the unit, 

29 minutes ago, gismorail said:

Jim your spot on with those memories ...only they are still true to today. I believe from what I've been told that there are still people who work in the Trailer factory that have learn't to drive ....how mad is that .

Ackroyds Pyjama Factory is still going strong as every now and then the company I drive for (Williams Haulage ) get asked to take a load of finished product to one of the big super market RDC's . I believe though all the pyjama's are out-sourced from the far east and it's just one big packing factory now !!!

The other more recent big employer in Bala is the 'Cake Crew' where they make 'cup cakes' for all the major supermarkets which Williams Haulage do all the logistics for ..... every day we take a Double Decker trailer with 52 pallets on board .......now that's one big 'Sugar Rush' ......

 

[Fat Controller]

On 20/03/2020 at 14:14, The Johnster said:

Mentioned a few pages back, but I refer you to Fairyland, in Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot.  A hell hole.

Is that near Port Waleroo?

[boxbrownie]

1 hour ago, gismorail said:

Jim your spot on with those memories ...only they are still true to today. I believe from what I've been told that there are still people who work in the Trailer factory that have learn't to drive ....how mad is that .

 

They just drive the same as the customers do.......son in law tested a trailer to its limits last winter! 

[60021 Pen-y-Ghent]

There's a village in Cornwall with what I regard as a very exotic name - Davidstow. You might not, but then you might not be called David Stow. I am!

Regards everybody, stay safe!

David

[Gwiwer]

26 minutes ago, 60021 Pen-y-Ghent said:

There's a village in Cornwall with what I regard as a very exotic name - Davidstow. You might not, but then you might not be called David Stow. I am!

Regards everybody, stay safe!

David

 

Noted for its dairy.  And among their products we know Davidstow cheese, perhaps unfortunately, as "David's Toe Cheese".  Notwithstanding which is is among our favourites and usually in the fridge.  

[The Johnster]

2 hours ago, Fat Controller said:

Is that near Port Waleroo?

Depends on your definition of 'near'.  It is nearer than, say, the galaxy Andromeda, but further than, say, Port Talbot.  

[62613]

On 20/03/2020 at 12:28, runs as required said:

talking of that L&Y top right hand corner of Lancashire [Nelson]: Rose Grove always sounded so sweet smelling - as optimistic sounding a place name as Greenland (supposedly named by Viking explorers after an earlier bunch had got a rollicking back home in Danemark for naming Iceland - the island not the shop)

There is a part of the town where I live called Flowery Field. Doubtless it was once, but hasn't been since probably the middle of the 19th Century.