'Fingerpost' Direction Signs...

[white exec]

And then there was Snettisham (Norfolk) which John Betjeman reminded us was pronounced Snetsham (and golf pronounced goff).

Along the way...

There once was a Duchess of Belvoir
Who slept with her golden retrelvoir.
Said the choleric Duke:
'These girls make me puke -
And but for the dog I would surely lelvoir.'

There was a young teacher from Wemyss
Who wore black nylons with semyss.
The boys in her class
Distracted en masse
Slept at night to amazing wet dremyss.

[bobins]

A mate of mine who lived in Loughborough enjoyed telling foreign tourists they were actually in "Loo-gah-boroo-gah"

[harryp]

Sorry Neil, out of date on not, I can never reconcile the "Mucky Duck" with the previously named "Swan" . I regard all the old signs as part of our Heritage; after all, they were almost always used for imparting directions . My father would navigate from Kent to Newcastle on Tyne or up to the West of Scotland, using pubs all the way. It was interesting to hear him and his friends discussing alternative routes. Now with satnav I fear a layer of interest and knowledge has gone for ever - much like the majority of Public Houses
Peter I see that Cheriton Fitzpaine, where a mate used to live, isn't all that far from you . Lovely name; conjures up warm cottagey images
Edit, the difference between Golf and Goff is about "100 thysand pynds"

[harryp]

"some sound almost made up" - well Llanfairpg is of course - during the Victorian era to promote tourism. All I can say is it worked

[white exec]

Always wanted to see a pub called the Tartan Blanket*.
Good fun designing the pub sign...

*You might need to say it a few times before a penny drops.

[harryp]

Rather like a pub quiz name I once heard - Hoof Hearted

[NewcastleFalcon]

I can never reconcile the "Mucky Duck" with the previously named "Swan" . I regard all the old signs as part of our Heritage; after all, they were almost always used for imparting directions . My father would navigate from Kent to Newcastle on Tyne or up to the West of Scotland, using pubs all the way....

Yes couldn't agree more we had a Black Swan in Alnwick which despite protests turned into The "Hairy Lemon", which has now closed down. Lots of larger pubs turning into local Sainsbury's and the like, but micropubs, and micro breweries as vibrant as they ever have been, and the variety and quality available staggering compared to the 70's and 80's. I also did/do the pub navigating thing, used to travel a regular route to Halifax from up here and looked forward to the first outpost of Webster's (Halifax Brewery) as I headed down past Harrogate. I love the regional differences, whether its accent, the liveries of the buses, the place names, the different building styles, even the different finger posts now

Regards Neil

PS....but will there be a "Software Engineer's Arms" in a Century's time to remind future generations of what occupations we used to do in the old days? (tongue-in-cheek emoticon which doesn't exist but which would sometimes be useful )

[harryp]

Yes Neil, agree to it all.
Chris, did you ever see the "youv'e been framed" clip from many,many years ago where a "foriegn" looking gentleman was asking for directions to key-ap-sid-ee? He was after Cheapside - obviously an easy mistake to make. I have always wondered how non-english speakers cope with all the different pronounciations of "ough" and the words for the sound "borough" - and Brough (Burr) Island, Devon

[white exec]

I hear that in SW London, recently arrived up-market hopefuls now refer to Bat-tar-se-a (Battersea), and to Fulham as Chelsea. American tourists have also been known to ask directions to Traffle-gar Square.

There is a splendid old Will Hay film, The Goose Steps Out, where the hapless Will is sent to Germany as a spy. Undercover, he takes a job as a teacher of English in a German spy school. Determined to handicap his students as much as possible in their attempts to pass as English, he teaches them some basics of English pronunciation. Lesson 1: "...ough" - with the class duly reciting Sluff (the town in Buckinghamshire), tow [as in cow] (not tender), boo (bit of a tree). All great stough.

[Fake Concern]

I'll just leave this one from my ride today here.

[NewcastleFalcon]

I'll just leave this one from my ride today here.

You have to look up " Brownbread Street"......

Pint of Harvey's Sussex Best Bitter at the Ashtree Inn for me please!



Regards Neil

[red_dwarfers]

I quite like Hatch Beauchamp (pronounced Hatch Beach ham)
Keynsham (Cane sham)
Frome (Froome)
Bruton (Brooton)
Bickenhall (Bick nawl)

Far too many in Zomerset!

[myglaren]

How about Staithes - pronounced Steers!

[Fake Concern]

I like this one I saw today

[Stickyfinger]

Wiltshire has Chittoe
"Ch" is pronounced "Sh-toe" ?

but is not one