The Jeweller’s Window

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30454, 30 May 1964, Page 5

The Jeweller’s Window

A Good Address

(Specially written for "The Press" Op ARNOLD WALL)

JF you had to live In England and had your choice of your place of residence, and if you wished to have a quaint, distinctive village or small-town name on the envelope delivered to you, a great variety of charming names suggest themselves for your approval. Here are a few chosen from a very rich store. Specimens are presented in alphabetical order. Bengeo, Herts, pronounced like “banjo” but with e for a. It was always “Bonjy” among my schoolfellows, one of whom came from Bengeo. Cricket Malherble, Somerset, pronounced “Malerbi,” the “Cricket” means a little hill and this village was not a nursery to the game.

Croome d’Abitot, Worcestershire, has a fine Norman and aristocratic ring. Crosscannonby, Cumberland, impressive to look at and easy to say. Cumdivock, Cumberland, good name for residence of some fairy-tale ogre. Grewelthorpe, Yorkshire, appropriate for a health resort for chronic invalids. Guyzance, Northumberland, very “unenglish” and so distinctive. Mousehold, Cornwall, pro-

nounced Mouzle, perhaps too suggestive of insignificance, but less so that Nursling, Hampshire, and this is a perversion of its old name which meant Nutshell. Who would want to live there?

Sacriston Heugh, Durham, would convey the idea of sanctity modified by rusticity. Swadlincote, Derbyshire, an alternative to Nursling, home of newlyweds. Toller Fratrum at Porcorum, Dorset, a mouthful indeed and suitable for some learned pig-farmer. Walton in Gordano, Somerset, another mouthful but attractive to me if only because I was often walked through it as a small child and remember visiting the nursemaid’s grandfather there who was a centenarian.

Finally, if a flavour of piety is desired combined with quaintness and unexpectedness you could not do better than make your choice from among the Cornish saints— St. Anthony in Meneage, St. Breock, St. Briavels, St. Budeaux, St. Endellion, St. Ewe, St. Gennys, St. Gluvias, St. Issey, St. Kew, St. Mellion, St. Michael Caerhays, St. Pinnock, St. Tudy and St. Winnow.