Tuesday, April 21, 2009

What’s in a name?

Today’s Nairnshire Telegraph published the details of a meeting held by Nairn councillors to try and decide as to what the official name of the road named locally as Maggot Road should be. The reason for needing a proper road name is that the flats currently being built along ‘the road’ are in need of proper postal addresses and despite the Maggot being the adopted name for the road, it seems a mass debate was needed.
Maggot Road is mentioned in publications and maps, but would Maggot Road referring to the road that leads to the Maggot just be too logical?
Names in the hat included: Bailey Drive, this is a reference to the Bailey Bridge but as was pointed out this is a type of bridge and in the future a new bridge might not be a Bailey one. Merryton Drive was another, as was Maggot Drive.
Riverside Road was another candidate, as was Riverside Terrace, there was even a suggestion of splitting the road and having two names.
It would seem a shame if there was a move to name Maggot Road anything other than Maggot Road/Drive/Crescent/Path/Street or even just The Maggot for it is after all the road to a historical part of Nairn called the Maggot, I wonder how the new flats obtained planning permission to build on a road that doesn't exist?
Maybe the Gurn’s resident historian Hamish can throw light on the origin of the name for Cllr Park wasn’t sure where the name Maggot came from.
Do Gurnites have any suggestions as to what the road should be called?

7 comments:

Maggot said...

Well the powers that be changed the perfectly good name of Sewage Bridge to Merryton Bridge, so I guess that we can expect Maggot Road to be lost forever to a happy smiley name with little relevance to the history of Nairn.

Fly in the ointment said...

It's probably the developers of the new flats who are lobbying for a change in the name. An abode with the address of 'maggot' is probably worth less than say 'riverside' and money is more important than maintaining our history?
I vote for Maggot Road and bring back the Sewerage Bridge whilst we're at it.
We could have new roads leading off Maggot Road with names like Fly Drive, and Larvae Close.
With the regular overflowing we have seen of the fat blocked drains near the bridge, we could see a whole new tourist attraction developing!

Anonymous said...

No - I'm not surprised that Sandy Park was unaware of where the name of Maggot Rd came from - him not being a Nairn person or a local at that.

In fact is Sandy Park even interested in the future of Nairn or the future of Sandy Park - I know what i'll be voting next time he stands.

growtosow said...

you me both on that one horse and cart reminds me more manure

Jane Harkiss said...

Errrr.... oh, sorry. i just completely lost the thread. No idea what I was going to say. Must be my druggie past!!! Well I was a bloody porn star, goes with the territory.

Jane Harkiss said...

Oh yeah. Why don't we just come up with an all-encompassing, off-putting, turn-off of a name for the whole town, that will discourage anyone in their right mind to stop, or to ever, ever come here ever again? We could run a competition. 1st prize: nite out in a burger king of your choice, with the one and only...Pookie Candelabra! Onto a winner or what?

Anonymous said...

Sorry but I think sitting debating the name of a historic street by a load of people who know nothing of the origins is about the limit of our council.
My view is that all the people who would be good at running the council are too busy earning a living to run.
Id sack the lot and vote for the gurnmister for provost as he would do a far better job than our present provost, but then again the days of the barras protest may put heed to that one, but I for one would vote for him.