Thousands back petition to keep street name

[Deleted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ngham-42610625

Thousands of people have backed a counter-petition to save a street called Bell End after calls for the "rude" road name to be changed.

Linda George said she was "just amazed" to see her plight to save the Black Country road name had "gone global", featuring in newspapers around world.

Her petition, backed by nearly 5,000 supporters, said the "historic" name was believed to be after a local mine.

Sandwell Council will "consider the matter" after receiving both petitions.

The original petition said some Rowley Regis residents believed the "offensive word" made them a "laughing stock" and children were being bullied and teased because of it.

The petition, backed by about 100 supporters, told the Labour-run council it was "time for a change", even to a similar name, such as Bell Road.

But Mrs George, a local historian who runs the Facebook page "I Remember Blackheath and Rowley Regis", said residents she knew did not want this "pointless change", finding the idea "deeply offensive".

The petition adds: "If children are being bullied because of the name of their road, the problem is the bullying children, who need educating."

Mrs George's great uncle, Albert Harrold, lived in Bell End and after he was killed during World War One, his widow Sarah Jane and their children ran a shop there until about 1960.

Mrs George has fond memories of the area and still regularly visits, including recently helping pupils with a ceramic poppy project.

"I remember being sat with my grandmother in the chapel in Bell End wrapped up in her fur coat because it was freezing," she said.

Mrs George, of Worcester, said many people did not know about the name's connotations.

"And those that do just don't seem to care," she added.

I like stories like this

[Aitch]

Does “Bell End” mean something I’m not aware of?

[Deleted]

When I lived in Massachusetts there was a road called Middlesex. One time I took my kids and my nephews down it and one of the boys saw the sign, then yelled out “hey guys, we're in the middle... of sex”.

Boys...

Anyways, this seems pretty trivial. I wouldn’t be offended.

Heh Middlesex is also a county in south-east England

[Socialhealer]

When I lived in Massachusetts there was a road called Middlesex. One time I took my kids and my nephews down it and one of the boys saw the sign, then yelled out “hey guys, we're in the middle... of sex”.

Boys...

Anyways, this seems pretty trivial. I wouldn’t be offended.

named after places in England no doubt we have counties called Middlesex, Sussex, Essex and Wessex, those don't need changing, it's just a bunch of immature people acting stupid over a road name, changing it would prove acting like a fucking moron is the way to make change which is the wrong signal to send just ignore them.

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Does “Bell End” mean something I’m not aware of?

basically the end of your penis.

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Massachusetts uses a lot of English names in their streets and counties. Middlesex is also a county there.

well that is half of america really, i mean not half but probably thousands of places in America.

[SupBrah]

It's sort of a more polite way to call someone dickhead.

That's fucking hilarous. Where do I sign?

[Rotted]

I doubt any kids are being bullied because of a street name. Teased and picked on sure, but when they get a few years olders they'll be laughing about it as well

[Graeham]

The sort of people who demand that a street name is changed to be 'less offensive' are not worth taking seriously in the vast majority of cases. How many of those complaining even live there? It has become very common for some people to seek out new ways to be offended, usually through finding pointless petitions to sign in order to feel like they're accomplishing something of note despite obsessing over trivial issues day in, day out in their sad, lonely little lives.

[Super Kami Dende]

its 2018 and we are surprised retards are complaining about anything?

[Deleted]

I always chuckle at Birmingham in America

[Harry Botter]

I once worked with a guy in a town in GA called Cumming. He had moved there from Intercourse, PA. I would introduce him as the man that took 2 days to go from Intercourse to Cumming. 2 days being the time he spent getting all his stuff down there in his U-Haul truck.

[Mister Cheese]

Middlesex is a county in new jersey. Shit happens.

[Blobfish]

A Popular town in Austria that should produce Tshirts with

"I Love Fu-king"

[Rotted]

You realize that being "picked on" is just another way to say bullied... right?

No its not. Not at all. I've been both picked on in one school and full on bullied in the other when I was younger. In one place it was name calling, in the other it was being physically ganged up on, spat in my face with phlegm, tied to a lamp post and left, strangled until I passed out on the bus. It's completely different. And frankly, labelling picking on and bullying as the same is wrong; that kind of mentality is where we're going wrong with kids in schools.

I don't want to sound like an arse but to a point kids need to develop a thick skin. When their older in the real world people are going to call names or run into arguments and it's at that point where having a thick skin is useful. There won't be a teacher they can run to, to report every little thing that happens.

[Kalis]

There are loads of these types of place names in the UK.

Essex...



Yorkshire...



Cornwall...

[Mormolyce]

When I was a kid we found the suburb of "Innaloo" intensely amusing.

North of where I live, there is a place that regularly freezes over...

Is "hell" still "Hel" in Norwegian? Like the ancient Norse goddess?

[Pannonian]

LOL! That Mayor is awesome.

Written this is quite funny; but if you would hear an austrian pronounce "fucking" it isn't as funny anymore, as it sounds completely different.

But to add to this, and get over with: Its not a long way from Fucking, to...



(though of course, its better the other way round)

[Deleted]

Why even still use street names? They are mostly a novelty these days.

[Rennadrel]

Massachusetts uses a lot of English names in their streets and counties. Middlesex is also a county there.

It is also one here in Ontario as well.

[ghotihook]

I don't think we really have any offensive names but we do have ridiculous names of cities in Minnesota.
Climax, Fertile, Staples, Nimrod, Flaming, Embarrass, Assumption, Ball Club, Sleepy Eye, Twig, Winner, Federal Dam are all cities in my state.

[noidentity]

Massachusetts uses a lot of English names in their streets and counties. Middlesex is also a county there.

Don't forget the Town of Athol is Massachusetts.