This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/dec/15/the-romance-of-the-british-road-from-putney-bridge-to-nempnett-thrubwell
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| The romance of the British road, from Putney Bridge to Nempnett Thrubwell | The romance of the British road, from Putney Bridge to Nempnett Thrubwell |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Maureen Tilford (Letters, 14 December) laments the lack of romanticism for songwriting purposes of UK road and place names. I felt the same 50 years ago, until I heard Ewan MacColl sing Dirty Old Town and, especially, Sweet Thames Flow Softly: “From Putney Bridge to Nine Elms Reach we cheek to cheek were dancing / A necklace made of London Bridge her beauty was enhancing / … /Gave her Hampton Court to twist, flow sweet river flow / Into a bracelet for her wrist, sweet Thames flow softly.”Tim JonesHoylake, Wirral | Maureen Tilford (Letters, 14 December) laments the lack of romanticism for songwriting purposes of UK road and place names. I felt the same 50 years ago, until I heard Ewan MacColl sing Dirty Old Town and, especially, Sweet Thames Flow Softly: “From Putney Bridge to Nine Elms Reach we cheek to cheek were dancing / A necklace made of London Bridge her beauty was enhancing / … /Gave her Hampton Court to twist, flow sweet river flow / Into a bracelet for her wrist, sweet Thames flow softly.”Tim JonesHoylake, Wirral |
| • I don’t know why they are more romantic, but I think American road and place songs work better because of the “moving on” culture of the USA and its sheer size. Two good example are By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Geoff Mack’s I’ve Been Everywhere. There are at least two English tongue-in-cheek versions of the songs referred to by Dr Tilford: Billy Bragg’s A13 (for Route 66), and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine’s Twenty Four Minutes From Tulse Hill.Michael CunninghamWolverhampton | • I don’t know why they are more romantic, but I think American road and place songs work better because of the “moving on” culture of the USA and its sheer size. Two good example are By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Geoff Mack’s I’ve Been Everywhere. There are at least two English tongue-in-cheek versions of the songs referred to by Dr Tilford: Billy Bragg’s A13 (for Route 66), and Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine’s Twenty Four Minutes From Tulse Hill.Michael CunninghamWolverhampton |
| • It isn’t just the USA. The French have Aux Champs Élysées, the Germans Ich hab’ noch einen Koffer in Berlin. In Oxford Street and I’ve Still Got a Suitcase in Glasgow would be absurd. I suppose Liverpool is the exception.Brian SmithBerlin, Germany | • It isn’t just the USA. The French have Aux Champs Élysées, the Germans Ich hab’ noch einen Koffer in Berlin. In Oxford Street and I’ve Still Got a Suitcase in Glasgow would be absurd. I suppose Liverpool is the exception.Brian SmithBerlin, Germany |
| • Dr Tilford cannot have come across Frankie Vaughan’s Stockport from 1983. As the song puts it: “It’s the place for me. / The people seem to be so friendly.” Guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye.John HartleyStockport | • Dr Tilford cannot have come across Frankie Vaughan’s Stockport from 1983. As the song puts it: “It’s the place for me. / The people seem to be so friendly.” Guaranteed to bring a tear to the eye.John HartleyStockport |
| • Alan Plater wrote the wry lyrics for The Motorway Jump, which includes references to the A66, M25 and M62 and was set to music by Alan Barnes.Dr Bob DukesPoole, Dorset | • Alan Plater wrote the wry lyrics for The Motorway Jump, which includes references to the A66, M25 and M62 and was set to music by Alan Barnes.Dr Bob DukesPoole, Dorset |
| • Scotland has plenty of romantic road names. Try The Rest and Be Thankful or the Pass of Brander in Argyll for starters.Myra GartshoreDumbarton | • Scotland has plenty of romantic road names. Try The Rest and Be Thankful or the Pass of Brander in Argyll for starters.Myra GartshoreDumbarton |
| • How about 24 hours from Towcester? Always sung in our family, although it’s nearer 24 minutes from our house.Jan ClarkEverdon, Northamptonshire | • How about 24 hours from Towcester? Always sung in our family, although it’s nearer 24 minutes from our house.Jan ClarkEverdon, Northamptonshire |
| • 24 Hours from Stevenage sounds pretty good to me, 48 even better.Jonathan ClaydenBristol | • 24 Hours from Stevenage sounds pretty good to me, 48 even better.Jonathan ClaydenBristol |
| • What about Waterloo Sunset? (Or is that technically a Belgian placename?)Haydn MiddletonKirtlington, Oxfordshire | • What about Waterloo Sunset? (Or is that technically a Belgian placename?)Haydn MiddletonKirtlington, Oxfordshire |
| • UK placenames on dry land may be dull but the shipping forecast is pure poetry.John O’DwyerSteeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire | • UK placenames on dry land may be dull but the shipping forecast is pure poetry.John O’DwyerSteeple Claydon, Buckinghamshire |
| • The United States has nowhere as romantic as Nempnett Thrubwell.Anthony HinxmanPortland, Oregon, USA | • The United States has nowhere as romantic as Nempnett Thrubwell.Anthony HinxmanPortland, Oregon, USA |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |
| • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters | • Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters |
| Pop and rock | Pop and rock |
| London | London |
| letters | letters |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on Google+ | Share on Google+ |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |