There's a great deal of national debate at the moment about local councils deciding to drop apostrophes from street names. Claims of declining standards, etc, etc.
In Brigg, since the days of the old Urban District Council, Princes Street has failed to include the apostrophe, although wasn't it named after the Prince of Wales? Just as nearby Albert Street was a tribute to his father, and Queen Street honoured his mother, Queen Victoria.
Then there's St Helens (Helen's?) Road and Kings (King's?) Avenue to consider.
Plus Springs (Spring's) Parade, honouring Mr Spring, founder of the great jam factory which once employed so many Brigg folk on the site where Lidl now stands.
Clearly the absence of apostrophes in street names is nothing new - despite what some of today's academics and national journalists think.
Some time ago, on the Brigg Extra page in the Scunthorpe Telegraph, we asked whether the street signs should say Forrester Street or Forester Street.
Chapel Way ought to be Chappell Way (remembering former Vicar of Brigg, Canon Chappell).
Decades ago, a schoolboy error was spotted, and corrected, when council workmen erected a sign saying Grammer School Road, rather than Grammar School Road.
Some newcomers/visitors to town also get confused about where Bigby Street becomes Bigby Road, and then gives way to Bigby High Road.
At Brigg Grammar in the days when English teaching was (thankfully) of the old-fashioned variety, we had to consider the possessive apostrophe. Never mind the standard variety.
Bear that in mind next time you pop down Island Carr to visit the local plumbers' and builders' merchants!
Oh, and finally...What's your view on St James Road? Should it be St James' - or would you go for the full out St James's?
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1 comment:
Nige,
The apostrophe was the last puntuation mark to be introduced - some time in the C19th..methinks.
You've forgotten to mention Barnard's Avenue. The current road signs are correct, but I can remember the priest from the RC church had to paint in an apostrophe....some time in the late ?80's. One of the local papers carried a photo of his 'vandalism' to the road sign.
Slightly related is a village to the west of Shrewsbury - Nesscliff.
However, the village shows the name in different spellings.
For example, Nesscliffe, Nesscliff, Nescliffe....
On a personal vein, there is a churchyard in the NE which has tombstones that shows about 8 or 9 different spellings for the HARRISON.
Anyway, I vote for St James's Road.
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