Advice Please

[simsqu]

I live in the London Borough of Haringey, and just got a letter through the door from the Council Leader, Joseph Ejiofor.

They are starting a consultation about the renaming of Albert Road Recreation Ground (a local bit of common ground where people play football, cricket etc) to O. R. Tambo Recreation Ground, after the ANC president who, apparently, lived in exile in Muswell Hill for two decades, and was a frequent visitor to the recreation ground.

OK, so far so good. My only thought up to this point was that I am not in favour of the O. R. bit. I think Tambo Recreation ground is shorter and better. The O. R. Tambo Recreation Ground whiffs a bit of the European habit of long names, such as, “His Most Serene and Imperial Majesty, King Leopold II, King of all the Belgiums Esplanade”.

But it was this particular paragraph that got me thinking, and I quote it here verbatim:
“Today, in response to the Black Lives Matter Movement, we now think it’s an appropriate time to garner local support to rename Albert Road Recreation Ground to further reflect the strong links the borough has with O. R. Tambo, the people of South Africa and the values and legacy that he has left us with today.”

OK maybe I’m being paranoid, and If it had been called, say, Railway Cuttings Rec ground, rather than Albert Rec ground, then maybe I would not have had the following thought, but I’m thinking: Albert – Victoria – British Imperialism – African Colonialism – slave trade – Black Lives Matter – let’s get rid of all this and then start renaming Victoria Road Nelson Mandela Road, Alexandra Palace Ramaphosa Palace, and Trafalgar Square Umkhonto we Sizwe Square etc etc etc.

Am I just a white male privileged old bigot?

[AleisterCrowley]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_St ... ia_bombing

Worth a read...

[didds]

wheras my thought is what happens when there is a yellow lives matter and it becomes the cghairman mao recreation G6round. Followed a while later with an Inuit Lives matter and it becopmes the Pingu Recreation ground, and so on and so fiorth.

Aaplogies if that sounds trite - Im just trying to illustrate that while I have no issue with valid changes etc nonetheless where does renaming stop with its attendant costs everytime it happens . Nothing "coucnils" ever do seem to be as simple as £100 for a new sign.

[zico]

It's a pity there isn't a South African leader called Reen, which could be combined with Tambo to make a memorable name for the park.

However, this is a consultation so you don't really need any advice. You will shortly receive a follow-up letter from the council reading something like this.

"Thank you to all our residents for your responses on views on our plan to rename Albert Road Rec to O.R. Tambo Rec.
99.9% of responses recommended that we keep the name unchanged to save everyone's time and money. Of the remaining responses, the following suggestions were received - "Boris-Churchill-Farage", "Brittania", "Proud Boys" and "White Sown Lea". There was zero support for the name to be changed to O.R. Tambo.
Having carefully studied all the responses we have decided the new name will be O.R. Tambo Recreation Ground."

[AleisterCrowley]

I'm guessing this is a Labour council ?! They have a bit of history re this sort of gesture politics - often parodied in Private Eye (and 'Only Fools and Horses' , with Nelson Mandela House, Peckham)

[chas49]

wheras my thought is what happens when there is a yellow lives matter and it becomes the cghairman mao recreation G6round. Followed a while later with an Inuit Lives matter and it becopmes the Pingu Recreation ground, and so on and so fiorth.

Is "yellow lives" acceptable? I doubt that's what such a movement would be called. (I accept the post is intended to be slightly facetious - but surely we're past calling people from Japan/China and surrounding countries "yellow"?

[tjh290633]

wheras my thought is what happens when there is a yellow lives matter and it becomes the cghairman mao recreation G6round. Followed a while later with an Inuit Lives matter and it becopmes the Pingu Recreation ground, and so on and so fiorth.

Is "yellow lives" acceptable? I doubt that's what such a movement would be called. (I accept the post is intended to be slightly facetious - but surely we're past calling people from Japan/China and surrounding countries "yellow"?

Oriental Lives Matter?

TJH

[Lootman]

wheras my thought is what happens when there is a yellow lives matter and it becomes the cghairman mao recreation G6round. Followed a while later with an Inuit Lives matter and it becopmes the Pingu Recreation ground, and so on and so fiorth.

Is "yellow lives" acceptable? I doubt that's what such a movement would be called. (I accept the post is intended to be slightly facetious - but surely we're past calling people from Japan/China and surrounding countries "yellow"?

Oriental Lives Matter?

I recall years ago having lunch at London's Oriental Club, a gentleman's club for those who had served in the civil or diplomatic service in Britain's Far Eastern colonies.

No doubt it no longer exists now, or has at least been renamed. As an Asian-American informed me, the word "oriental" is now only used to describe carpets and antiques, not people.

[scrumpyjack]

Are they going to rename another park 'de Klerk' park? He too was instrumental in ending apartheid.

Really it should the the Dutch, if anyone, who should be renaming things as the Boers were Dutch.

[PinkDalek]

I recall years ago having lunch at London's Oriental Club, a gentleman's club for those who had served in the civil or diplomatic service in Britain's Far Eastern colonies.

No doubt it no longer exists now, or has at least been renamed. ...

It is still in Stratford Place, under the old name, and admits Ladies as members nowadays.

Good place away from the hubbub.

[didds]

wheras my thought is what happens when there is a yellow lives matter and it becomes the cghairman mao recreation G6round. Followed a while later with an Inuit Lives matter and it becopmes the Pingu Recreation ground, and so on and so fiorth.

Is "yellow lives" acceptable? I doubt that's what such a movement would be called. (I accept the post is intended to be slightly facetious - but surely we're past calling people from Japan/China and surrounding countries "yellow"?

Exactly.

[XFool]

I recall years ago having lunch at London's Oriental Club, a gentleman's club for those who had served in the civil or diplomatic service in Britain's Far Eastern colonies.

No doubt it no longer exists now, or has at least been renamed.

https://www.orientalclub.org.uk

THE CLUB
For nearly two hundred years, the Oriental Club has been an iconic Central London focal point for those who have lived, worked or travelled in the East.
Today, a diverse membership values the modern amenities of Stratford House and the attentive service offered by the Club’s Staff.


PS Missed reply by PinkDalek

[88V8]

Lived in Haringey, many years ago. Glad it was many years ago.

Now, let me see, was Tambo another murdering terrorist. like Mandela?

As has been said, a BS consultation, the decision already made.

V8