Donger
Convoi Exceptionnel
When reading some of our Cyclechat contributors' blogs in "Your Ride Today", it struck me just how many places there are in the UK that, despite considerable travel and a scarcely deserved geography degree, I have never before even heard of, let alone been to. Among these, there must be a whole host of curiously named (or just plain silly) village names across the country.
I have my own favourites in my general neck of the woods - places that always make me snigger, at least inwardly, whenever I pass roads signs pointing to them. Places such as Little Sodbury and Barton-in-the-Beans. Another favourite of mine is the Nottinghamshire village of Gotham. My mother-in-law once spoiled that one a bit for me by explaining that it is pronounced "Goat-am". This, however, never really diminishes my glee every time I drive up to Nottingham to find that some wag has, yet again, adjusted the road sign in black marker pen so that it reads "Gotham City".
When travelling through Europe I have delighted in place names like Condom, Frankenstein and O, but the more I travel, the more wonderful place names I come across. Most recently, Mrs Donger and I had a couple of days away for our anniversary, and stumbled across the quaintly named Hinton-in-the-Hedges and the wonderfully evocative, (though probably misleadingly so), Marsh Gibbon. In an official capacity, I once had to send a letter to someone at Splotlands School, Splott Road, Splott, which was another of my favourites.
So come on, cycle chatters .... let's see the best you can come up with from wherever you live (UK or elsewhere). Between you there must be a goldmine of wonderful place names.
I have my own favourites in my general neck of the woods - places that always make me snigger, at least inwardly, whenever I pass roads signs pointing to them. Places such as Little Sodbury and Barton-in-the-Beans. Another favourite of mine is the Nottinghamshire village of Gotham. My mother-in-law once spoiled that one a bit for me by explaining that it is pronounced "Goat-am". This, however, never really diminishes my glee every time I drive up to Nottingham to find that some wag has, yet again, adjusted the road sign in black marker pen so that it reads "Gotham City".
When travelling through Europe I have delighted in place names like Condom, Frankenstein and O, but the more I travel, the more wonderful place names I come across. Most recently, Mrs Donger and I had a couple of days away for our anniversary, and stumbled across the quaintly named Hinton-in-the-Hedges and the wonderfully evocative, (though probably misleadingly so), Marsh Gibbon. In an official capacity, I once had to send a letter to someone at Splotlands School, Splott Road, Splott, which was another of my favourites.
So come on, cycle chatters .... let's see the best you can come up with from wherever you live (UK or elsewhere). Between you there must be a goldmine of wonderful place names.