Trivia: Station, junction, signalbox and level crossing names which could be personal names.

[D6130]

Nan Twich
Marston Green
Cam Bridge
Sandy Beds
Roy Don
Stan Sted-Airport
Aud Ley-End
Abe R Dare
Abe R Cynon
Ben Tley
Bill Ingshurst
....and not forgetting country singers Chet Nole and Earl Swood!

 

[snowball]

Sandy Beds

Soon followed by Itchin' Hurts.

(not my joke originally)

 

[Sprinter107]

Dudley Port
Bil Brook
Bram Hall
Col Wall
Sol Ihull
Dan Zey
Bridget On.
Al Sager

 

[EbbwJunction1]

The humorous writer Paul Jennings wrote a story in which all the characters were named after places - not all railway connected though. I haven't read it for years, but from what I remember it concerned the theft of a valuable painting - a Polperro - from a country house. The crime was investigated by Inspector Harold Wood, and suspicion fell on the faithful family retainer Old Sodbury and his son Chipping Sodbury, the village carpenter.

At the risk of taking this off topic (for which I apologise) what's the title of this book, please? Thanks.

 

[Mat17]

Shirley

 

[JohnRegular]

This is actually one of my favourite little pastime games to play.

Lawrence Hill
Abbie Wood
Clifton Down sounds like an awfully posh gent to me
Saul S. Berry (stretching it a bit perhaps?)
Cam Dursley
Dilton Marsh (not a common given name mind you)
Ash
Laurence Kirk

 

[norbitonflyer]

Lynne Colne

 

[vic-rijrode]

How about Lea Mington?

And if you're a Geordie:

Wor Cester Shrubbill.

 

[hermit]

At the risk of taking this off topic (for which I apologise) what's the title of this book, please? Thanks.

I don’t recall a piece in which Paul Jennings wove place names into a story, but he certainly wrote a newspaper article giving the ‘subconscious‘ meanings of many names, under the title ‘Ware, Wye, Watford’. It includes such suggestions as ‘Thirsk - a desire for vodka’, ‘Uttoxeter’ - a charlatan, usually a quack doctor’, and ‘Lowestoft - a subterranean granary’. (Of course, in recent years, the I’m Sorry I Haven‘t a Clue team have done something similar, though less subtly, in their Uxbridge English Dictionary).

Jennings’ piece is included in ‘Golden Oddlies’, a collection of his pieces, mainly from The Observer, published in 1983. He liked trains, and the book includes a number of railway-related pieces, such as ‘Euston Sleepers’, ’Dieselization’ and ‘By Rail, Waking’. I still find many of his pieces both clever and funny, but the world in which someone could make a living from producing such humane and whimsical articles is, alas, long gone.

 

[Par]

A few from the North West without even splitting the names.

Moses Gate
Romiley
Rose Grove
Daisy Hill
Bryn
Lea Green

 

[snowball]

I don’t recall a piece in which Paul Jennings wove place names into a story, but he certainly wrote a newspaper article giving the ‘subconscious‘ meanings of many names, under the title ‘Ware, Wye, Watford’. It includes such suggestions as ‘Thirsk - a desire for vodka’, ‘Uttoxeter’ - a charlatan, usually a quack doctor’, and ‘Lowestoft - a subterranean granary’. (Of course, in recent years, the I’m Sorry I Haven‘t a Clue team have done something similar, though less subtly, in their Uxbridge English Dictionary).

I think you may have missed posts #43 and #54 above.

Jennings’ piece is included in ‘Golden Oddlies’, a collection of his pieces, mainly from The Observer, published in 1983. He liked trains, and the book includes a number of railway-related pieces, such as ‘Euston Sleepers’, ’Dieselization’ and ‘By Rail, Waking’. I still find many of his pieces both clever and funny, but the world in which someone could make a living from producing such humane and whimsical articles is, alas, long gone.

There are several Paul Jenningses, including at least two writers:

Paul Jennings - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The one we are talking about here is this one:

Paul Jennings (British author) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I saw some of his columns in their original newspaper form, but a greater number in The Jenguin Pennings.

 

[hermit]

I think you may have missed posts #43 and #54 above.



There are several Paul Jenningses, including at least two writers:

Paul Jennings - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The one we are talking about here is this one:

Paul Jennings (British author) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I saw some of his columns in their original newspaper form, but a greater number in The Jenguin Pennings.

Yes, sorry not to have seen/acknowledged the earlier contributions. But good that he is more widely remembered than I assumed.

 

[D6968]

Bugger @Sprinter107 got Dudley Port before I saw this thread!
Best I can come up with are Warwick Parkway and is Chester Tonsidings pushing it a touch?
Then of course how do we greet our fathers? ‘Hello Pa(r)’ (I’ll get my coat)

 

[Merthyr Imp]

The one we are talking about here is this one:

Paul Jennings (British author) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I saw some of his columns in their original newspaper form, but a greater number in The Jenguin Pennings.

All I can say about the location of the piece I mentioned (about Chipping Sodbury, etc) is that it's NOT collected in either 'The Jenguin Pennings' or 'I Must Have Imagined It'.

I wish I could say which of the others it was in - or even remember the title of it.

 

[Calthrop]

All I can say about the location of the piece I mentioned (about Chipping Sodbury, etc) is that it's NOT collected in either 'The Jenguin Pennings' or 'I Must Have Imagined It'.

I wish I could say which of the others it was in - or even remember the title of it.

I'm a fan of / potential bore about, the late Mr. Jennings -- have not revisited his material for many years now, but read much of it "back in the day" (many books published, of his short pieces -- largely, collections with a big range of titles on the "Oddly ..." theme, from his every-Sunday Observer slot). I don't recall ever coming across his "Polperro / Chipping Sodbury" tale -- but don't claim familiarity with all of his voluminous output. He wrote one full-blown novel; but that is "something else again" -- And Now for Something Exactly the Same: IMO a good read, witty and poignant, drawing on a spell which he put in earlyish in his life, as an advertising copywriter.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

It's a good thing we aren't in Iceland or Australia... some of the first names on here would not pass muster with the rules those countries have!

 

[CaptainBen]

Has anyone mentioned Blair Atholl yet?

 

[D6130]

Has anyone mentioned Blair Atholl yet?

Yes....post #35.

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks for all your advice on Paul Jennings.

I see that he wrote a novel called "And Now for Something Exactly the Same" in 1977; could this be what I'm looking for?

 

[AlterEgo]

Ed Inburgh-Waverley

 

[Merthyr Imp]

Thanks for all your advice on Paul Jennings.

I see that he wrote a novel called "And Now for Something Exactly the Same" in 1977; could this be what I'm looking for?

What I've been referring to wasn't a novel - just one his usual short pieces.

 

[D6130]

Ed Inburgh-Waverley

Ed Inburgh-Gateway
Ed Inburgh-Park
Liv Ingstone-North
Liv Ingstone-South
Cal Dercruix

and across the water in Ireland:

Glen Ageary
Thomas Town
Carl Ow
Charle Ville
Mal Low
Ros Common
Clare Morris
Wes T Port
Cas T Lebar
Edgeworth Stown
Carri C Konshannon
Gorman Ston
Sandy Cove
Sydney Parade
Mal A Hide
Ade Laide
Syd Enham (also applies in South East London)
Helen S Bay
An(n) Trim
Col Eraine
Bella Rena
Ros Crea
Jordan Stown
Trooper Slane(?)
Fin Aghy
Lis Burn
Moira

 

[EbbwJunction1]

What I've been referring to wasn't a novel - just one his usual short pieces.

Ah, thanks.

 

[D6130]

Sandy Croft (ex-signalbox between Chester and Shotton)
(W)Rex Ham-General
(W)Rex Ham-Central
Buck Fastleigh
Cole Sloggett
Bos(S) Carne
Wil P Shire (and his Chinese neighbour Lang Ho)
Ben T Ham
Will Iton

 

[WesternBiker]

[Cardiff/Glasgow] Queen(ie) Street.

In honour of my late Auntie Queenie - married to Uncle Wally, but that's another story...

 

[Calthrop]

Thanks for all your advice on Paul Jennings.

I see that he wrote a novel called "And Now for Something Exactly the Same" in 1977; could this be what I'm looking for?

What I've been referring to wasn't a novel - just one his usual short pieces.

I referred in my post, to the novel -- confirming here: to the best of my remembrance, no connection to "Polperro" etc.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Not quite named after an individual, but just outside Nottingham are Burton Joyce.

 

[vic-rijrode]

If we include closed stations on extant lines, then the local village Bobby on the Wensleydale Railway should be included - Constable Burton.

If we also include Tyne & Wear Metro then Bede...

 

[Basil Jet]

Ma Gate

 

[vic-rijrode]

Ma Gate

... and her husband Ram S.