The Beeb tiptoes delicately around the 'C' word:
BBC: Graffiti village name change plan
Residents living in a graffiti-plagued village on Merseyside are being asked to consider changing its name to tackle vandals who alter signs in the village.
Lunt, which dates back to Medieval times, has been repeatedly targeted by vandals who change the "L" to a "C".
Apparently, they're going to change the village's name to Ucking Hill.
They've not thought this through, have they?
On the A22 there's a little bridge over the River Uck, outside Uckfield. The metal sign that says River Uck has been split over two lines, one word above the other, and has been cut to its barest outline -- that is, slightly wider at the top, for River, and then cut in for Uck -- simply to prevent any child-minded people from adding a letter, let's say "F" for example, in front of the river name.
The tragedy is that although this does indeed prevent the actual act of vandalism, in doing so it draws attention to the potential act of vandalism so strongly that every time
Isomeone passes it, they see the subliminal graffiti even though it isn't there.Yes, every time.
Luckily for those of us in Dorset, there is little scope to change the names of places to make 'rude' words. We just have places with silly names to start with. eg. Troytown & Piddletrenthide which, of course is situated on the banks of the river Piddle.
Many years ago we had a laundry called 'Bollom'. Their motto was 'Bollom cleaning brings brightness to Bournemouth'. This was displayed next to a railway bridge & with the help of a friend to hold your legs & some white paint, it was simple to to change Bollom to Bottom....
Oh how we all laughed!
The return of the Python catchphrase #34
'I'm sorry, I can't say the letter B'
All this talk has reminded me that, when I used to go to Liverpool on the train as a lad, the next station along from ours had its name written in whitewashed rocks: SPITAL. With monotonous regularity, the local kids used to sneak in at night and change the P to an H.
I feel we should have a competition to complete the limerick:
There was a young lady from Lunt
... and since it is graffiti we are talking about, maybe answers on a post rather than a postcard!