Musings from the Merse
Thursday, October 18, 2007
On Your Bike Mate
A British minister, Michael Wills has suggested that we should have a national motto to encapsulate our 'Britishness' something which could be incorporated into national documentation like Passports or Death certificates. On our passports we already have a coat of arms and a motto: Dieu et mon Droit (My God You are right?) but it is French and it is the royal motto rather than a people's national one-as Tristam Hunt points out in the Gerdian today.
Perhaps we should run a national competition to select one but it might start better at local level with each community having, if not its own coat of arms, which is just too 14th century, but its own motto on the town sign at the entrance to the area: Some have already : 'Thankyou for Driving Carefully' or in the case of Duns : '20MPH when lights flash' Can't get more uplifting than that. Hutton proclaims 'You are being watched' on a rather aggressive Neighbourhood Watch sign as you come into 'town'.
Hutton Think Tank has been commissioned by Scottish Borders Council (Vision and Local Plan section) to come up with a series of signs appropriate to villages and wee villages indicating the individual charecter of the place and the warmth of the welcome for the first time visitor: ' Paxton. Keep moving' for example. ' ' Fishwick: The Car Free Zone'or the ethnically influenced 'Will Ye NO come back again' Suggestions welcome as always.
The bigger towns already have welcoming signs: 'Coldstream: the First Toon in Scotland'-or the last, thankfully, if you are heading south.Greenlaw 'The Ancient Capital of Berwickshire' 'Ancient' equals ancien: former. Duns now has that honour and should surely greet visitors with 'Duns; twinned with Armageddon: Duns Dings 'A'
Peebles, that poncy pompous pretentious place has an unoffical motto; Paris for business. Peebles for Pleasure. I have never really liked the dump since 10 years ago staying for a week in a self catering flat using it as a base for house hunting, I rang the golf club and asked if I could play a round. I was told
'No'
Thank the Lord we did not find a house there.
But my favourite town motto is for Llantrisant Pontyclun in Welsh Wales which is simply known as
The Hole with the Mint in it
A British minister, Michael Wills has suggested that we should have a national motto to encapsulate our 'Britishness' something which could be incorporated into national documentation like Passports or Death certificates. On our passports we already have a coat of arms and a motto: Dieu et mon Droit (My God You are right?) but it is French and it is the royal motto rather than a people's national one-as Tristam Hunt points out in the Gerdian today.
Perhaps we should run a national competition to select one but it might start better at local level with each community having, if not its own coat of arms, which is just too 14th century, but its own motto on the town sign at the entrance to the area: Some have already : 'Thankyou for Driving Carefully' or in the case of Duns : '20MPH when lights flash' Can't get more uplifting than that. Hutton proclaims 'You are being watched' on a rather aggressive Neighbourhood Watch sign as you come into 'town'.
Hutton Think Tank has been commissioned by Scottish Borders Council (Vision and Local Plan section) to come up with a series of signs appropriate to villages and wee villages indicating the individual charecter of the place and the warmth of the welcome for the first time visitor: ' Paxton. Keep moving' for example. ' ' Fishwick: The Car Free Zone'or the ethnically influenced 'Will Ye NO come back again' Suggestions welcome as always.
The bigger towns already have welcoming signs: 'Coldstream: the First Toon in Scotland'-or the last, thankfully, if you are heading south.Greenlaw 'The Ancient Capital of Berwickshire' 'Ancient' equals ancien: former. Duns now has that honour and should surely greet visitors with 'Duns; twinned with Armageddon: Duns Dings 'A'
Peebles, that poncy pompous pretentious place has an unoffical motto; Paris for business. Peebles for Pleasure. I have never really liked the dump since 10 years ago staying for a week in a self catering flat using it as a base for house hunting, I rang the golf club and asked if I could play a round. I was told
'No'
Thank the Lord we did not find a house there.
But my favourite town motto is for Llantrisant Pontyclun in Welsh Wales which is simply known as
The Hole with the Mint in it
Labels: Duns, Hutton Think Tank, Low Flying Merse, Wee Villages
Comments:
Coldstream is "the first true Border Toon".
Can I recommend one for Caen in France? Le trou Normande :-)
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Can I recommend one for Caen in France? Le trou Normande :-)
