Thursday, February 27, 2020

WHO SHOULD BE HONOURED IN FUTURE BRIGG STREET NAMES?


With Brigg being a popular place to live and hundreds of new homes being planned on various sites, many new street names are going to be required in the years ahead.
Perhaps the developers can be asked to consider honouring local people who contributed to the community in Brigg in various ways.
In addition, we have award-winning actress Joan Plowright - seen by some as the most famous person ever born in the town.
Now aged 90 and retired from her many stage and screen roles, Dame Joan (Lady Olivier - widow of Sir Laurence) was born on Central Square in 1929 and lived in Brigg until the family moved to Scunthorpe. 

Some reference sources and newspaper reports - over many decades - have incorrectly suggested she was born in the steel town.
Plowright Place as a Brigg street name has a nice ring to it!
There's been some debate on a local social media site in recent weeks about whether Joan's family lived at No. 32 or No. 1 Central Square. Our money is on the latter.
One contributor has even suggested one of those circular blue 'famous person live here' plaques might be affixed to the correct property. That, of course, would require the current owner(s) written permission.
Some of our older followers may be able to settle a point about Chapel Way - the cul-de-sac off Churchill Avenue.
We heard it suggested long ago that this cul-de-sac was intended to be named after Canon Roger Chappell, a former Vicar of Brigg.
However, the street is not too far from the small chapel in the cemetery. So perhaps Chapel was always the intended spelling - for this reason.
Former Brigg clergymen Canon Burgess and Father O'Hanlon have been honoured in street names.
With some early signs of spring evident in Brigg, including Purple4Polio crocuses appearing on many grass verges, now seems as good a time as any to reflect on flower-related street names within the town.
Would you be able to help if a delivery man/woman, or car-driving member of the public, stopped you and asked for directions to Foxglove Close (pictured), Poppyfield Way, Clover Court or Bluebell Road?
These streets are on a relatively recent housing development that adjoins the 1930s-built Newlands estate. Direct vehicular access is along Almond Grove, and adjoining the entrance is Bramble Way.
The other streets on Newlands are named after tree species (apart from Kingsway - presumably George VI), as are those on the other side of town on the Tollbar estate - Willowbrook Drive, Oakfield Close, Maple Close and Ashdown Close.
Some of the first council-built properties in Brigg were on Woodbine Avenue (taking its name from the farm nearby) in the early 1920s; Woodbine Grove prefabs helped to meet a housing shortage after WW2 but had all been demolished by the early 1970s.
Hawthorn Avenue dates from the early 1930s as does Hedgerow Lane, while Poplar Drive was a 1950s creation. There's also The Copse, off Bigby High Road.
The Urban District Council showed little imagination with West Square, East Parade and Central Square between the world conflicts.
Post-Second World War it soon added Northern Avenue, South View Avenue and (a little later) Western Avenue on the Springbank development.
West Terrace (off Bridge Street) had been a much earlier creation.
Historic open fields (pre-enclosure of agricultural land circa 1800) are recalled by Westrum Lane, Springfield Road and Springfield Rise, Glebe Road, St Helens Road, Eastfield Road, Highfield Grove and Redcombe Lane.
Past industries/businesses are recalled by Kiln Lane, Engine Street, Springs Way, The Bottlings and Mill Lane.
Brigg 'worthy citizens' from centuries past are honoured in many street names, including Magrath Court, Preston Drive, Barnard Avenue and Street, Horstead Avenue, Davy Crescent, O'Hanlon Avenue, Burgess Road, Foxton Way, Springs Way, Kings Avenue, Elwes Street, Holme Close, Cary Lane, Morleys Yard and Yarborough Road.
Atherton Way was named after Kirton Lindsey's Coun Terry Atherton, reflecting the work he did for Brigg in terms of economic development while leader of Glanford Borough Council in the 1980s and the fact he was a driving force behind pedestrianisation and town centre regeneration.
On the other side of the New River Ancholme, in Broughton parish, the Waters Edge housing development received some bird-related street names - Swift Drive, Mallard Way and Kingfisher Drive. This was a nice touch, as these species can be spotted locally.
PICTURED ABOVE: Where Bramble Way meets Foxglove Close (top) and adjoining properties on Central Square. Famous actress Joan Plowright was born in one of them. We believe in the one on the right.

4 comments:

  1. Redcombe Lane is interesting..its translates into Reedy depression, although the existing lane is somewhat elevated. It is possible that the lane led to reedy section of the Ancholme....but why would a track purposely lead to such a stretch of river....methinks that Redcombe Lane could be the historic route for fording the Ancholme Valley.
    For info: Redbourne = Spring in reedy place.

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  2. Should we revert to the old names of some of Brigg's thoroughfares?
    For example, Elwes St could revert to the Butchery...or even its earlier name, the Shambles.
    The exercise could elevate Brigg's standing within the sphere of local history...

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  3. As a former resident of 32 Central Square my money is on that property being Joan Plowright’s early home, if only because my mother was never known to lie! Elsie Stringer was a contemporary tenant of number 1.
    Adrian B.

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  4. If you email me, I'll send you a scan of something that may be of interest. Thanks.

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