Saturday 9 February 2008

A shag down at the quay

He blogs again after about a month.

I live in Newhaven, that's a town on the coast with a bad reputation.  But it really isn't as terrible as people like to make out!  Today's post has something to do with it, but also to do with people's political correctness, which is rather amusing.  Let me tell you a story...

A few years ago my mum was on the town council and during her time there the first of the houses built along the west quay were, er, built.  This was all well and good but then the difficult part came, what on earth should it be called?  An inspired council worker suggested the name "Cormorant Quay" after the birds that sit there.




Then a great man (the resident naturalist) named David Harris pointed out that the birds in question were not cormorants, but black shags, and thus it would be wrong to name the buildings after them.  My mum's suggestion of "Black Shag Buildings" wasn't accepted and we are left with the safe, but uninspiring name of "Christchurch Court".





It doesn't even sound rude unless, I concede, you're about 8.    It's a pity, at least with her suggestion you knew what you were getting, there isn't a church down on the quay, but I think that many people would have bought a house there to watch a black shag by the river.

Love,
Sx