Talk:Redditch
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[edit] Redditch
I feel that to say that "Redditch is near Studley", although technically true is a little misleading. It is a bit like saying "Birmingham, near Redditch". I will amend this unless anyone objects. Cabinscooter 06:46, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
Changed to "north of Studley". Even so no-one is going to find Redditch by finding Studley first. Maybe it should come out entirely. Fontles 11:26, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
I am not at all sure about the derivation of the name "Moons Moat" being attributed to a 'Prehistoric Celtic tribe'. The more likely origin that I had heard was that a family named Moon had a large moated house on the site of the moat within the last hundred or so years. Does anyone have any confirmation of this ? Cabinscooter
[edit] Local Dialect
I grew up in Redditch, most of my family still live there and I've never heard any of the terms mentioned here used in the context suggested. NickBarlow 05:08, 12 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I lived in Redditch for 20 years and have many friends and family still there. I've never heard any of these terms used like this either. I think it's a wind-up. Tadgers and peckers refer to male genitals; the swings and roundabouts thing is clearly a joke; and the bit about monkeys is very hard to take seriously.80.41.229.3 16:34, 6 Feb 2005 (UTC)
I know this regards accent and not dialect, I'm also sure someone will disagree, but I've always noted three quarters of people you encounter around town pronounce the word "Bus" as "Buzz" or "Busses" as "Buzzes". Every time I suspect this has ceased, I hear it again. Someone please confirm it is not just me hearing this.
This is interesting, I originally grew up in part of the Black Country and my wife (a Brummie) is always pointing out to me that I pronounce bus as 'buzz' and busses as 'buzzes'. I have lived in Redditch for twenty-odd years but I'm sure that I did not pick this up in Redditch. Cabinscooter 20:03, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
I also attribute the use of buzz for bus to Black Country origin (it turns up in [1]); its use in Redditch is interesting, maybe it reflects continuing integration of West Midlands accents generally. Or perhaps I have been too hasty to assign Redditch as "Brummie" rather than any other West Mids accent? Actually I think a section on "Local Dialect and Accent" would be quite good if we had material to fill it.--Fontles 09:43, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
On the same theme, I suspect that the proximity of Redditch to Bromsgrove which in turn is probably influenced by Stourbridge , may have an effect on the accent. Stourbridge has a very strong Black Country accent and dialect. Cabinscooter 07:56, 5 August 2006 (UTC)
I've taken out the spurious wikitable that appeared here, I guess someone was using Redditch as a sandbox. Fontles 11:37, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Batchley Cheese
I moved to Redditch in 1975 when I was just six years old. My father and my sister still live there, as do several of my old school friends. None of us have ever heard of Batchley Cheese. Can someone confirm the existence of this local speciality?
Yep, I've heard of it out of Wikipedia - only throiugh folklore though, and the only thing I can find about it is here:
http://www.touchbirmingham.co.uk/business/list/bid/2992378
I think someone is having a laugh at your expense. The address for Batchley Cheese in Redditch is the former Bridley Moor School - just check the phone number and postcode. The whole thing is one big joke and it appears to have fooled people (including many journalists) writing about Redditch - be wary of anyone who claims Redditch is famous for its cheese.
- I'm sorry to say I've taken out the Batchley Cheese thing as I added the history section today. I thought it was hilarious, but it's far too unlikely to be true to go in an encyclopedia without any evidence for it. I look forward to being proved wrong & making myself a Batchley Cheese sandwich! Fontles 00:15, 11 March 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Monkeys
The part about the monkeys living in the palm trees sounds rather unlikely. I stand to be corrected of course - but I can't see how this would work practically. Does anyone have any references to back this up? I would love to believe it btw. Fontles 12:13, 6 January 2006 (UTC)
I did a bit of anecdotal research into this one recently, and found several people who remember the Kingfisher Centre opening, and none who remember the monkeys. What I did find though, was claims that "Monkeys in the Palm Trees" is a long standing Redditch in-joke, and has been the subject of numerous local media April Fools stories over the years. On this basis, and the fact that no-one wanted to defend it, I'm going to remove this bit from the article. Fontles 22:00, 31 January 2006 (UTC)
- oddly enough this came up while talking to a friend of my father's just after Christmas, who either worked for or with the Development Corporation as it then was. His recollection is that the centre management was planning to exhibit some monkeys as a marketing gag, but in some kind of enclosure (wire mesh cage or similar) around one or several of the trees, and that the Health and Safety people got wind of the plan and quashed it pretty quick. Unfortunately that's only anecdotal too I'm afraid. WarwickshireWarrior 14:41, 7 February 2006 (UTC)
This was indeed an April Fool joke done by the centre management team at the time (I work in the centre now) who claimed to local press that on the 1st April they would be releasing live monkeys into the palm trees. It was a wind up, but apparently hundreds turned out.
[edit] Teenage pregnancies
The claim about teenage pregnancies has been in the article for a long time now. Are there any statistics to back this up? Anecdotally it's believable, but it's pretty emotive to some people and also consistent with the "Redditch sense of humour" we've seen in some of the recent vandalism. Any ideas? Fontles 12:32, 7 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] The Bus Station
As much as we all enjoy looking at the "Classic" Redditch bus station (1996 vintage), it now obviously looks completely different. I wonder if it would be possible for someone to provide a photo of how that area looks right now. I would do it myself, were it not for the fact I am away from the area at present. Kalgari 20:02, 12 June 2006 (UTC)
Why not have both images of the bus station (before and after) ? Cabinscooter 20:06, 1 July 2006 (UTC)
I think the "Classic" bus station meets the Wikipedia Notability criteria to much a greater extent than the current one. I mean, no offence to the architect or staff of the current station but the classic one was genuinely visually striking and formed a local landmark - in addition to lighthearted notability from the postcard and so on. The new one is really just a bus station, and not particularly photogenic or even easy to capture effectively in a picture. I would support a picture of the new one in Wikimedia Commons though, we have far too few pictures of Redditch in total. Love the designaiton as "Classic" btw. --Fontles 09:23, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] New Town
interesting the 14th July, 1964 London Gazette notes that the Redditch New Town included apart from Redditch urban district itself part of Bromsgrove Rural District, and part of Alcester Rural District, over in Warwickshire. There was apparently a transfer of part of Sambourne parish to Redditch in 1965 (of 28 acres) and a more substantial transfer of part of Studley parish in 1969 (247 acres). 213.107.21.212 17:14, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Spammy External Links
Every time I look at this page, someone has added an external link that's not really to do with Redditch, but is a site that just happens to be based in Redditch.
In other words... "Redditch Stamp Collecting Club" is not really about Redditch, is it. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.139.152.224 (talk) 19:36, 2 February 2007 (UTC).
[edit] Sport content
I've tidied up some of the sport (particularly football-related) content and given it a section of its own, as See Also wasn't really the right heading. I think some input from someone with sport knowledge would be valuable. In particular what about
- this Phil Green guy who I think is a Villa reserve?
- churchill united which must be a typo for Church Hill United - no problem with this but where do we draw the line? Loads of pub teams could potentially appear on the list.
Fontles 11:37, 20 February 2007 (UTC)
