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Are there too many Swindons?
11:23am Tuesday 1st April 2008
Comments (25)
CALLS are being made to change Swindon's name - so that a satellite navigation system does not get confused.
Lilo Fopra Electronics manufactures and sells sat-nav systems in the Far East.
In recent weeks it has had complaints from a number of customers hoping to head for Swindon's Gloucestershire namesake.
But because their systems work differently in the UK, they end up here in Wiltshire.
Now the company's boss has written a letter to bureaucrats at the European Union asking the body to order a rethink on the town's name.
"You can imagine customer disappointment at arriving in Swindon," said the company's letter to the EU, which the Adver has seen.
"They had hoped to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of a tiny village, perhaps planning to stop off for a fish and chips or some pint of beer.
"But when they arrive in your Swindon they make very sad.
"They see your town is nice.
"Many tell us they like all your waters. Oasis and Coat.
"But it is not village they saw on internetty. They want that one.
"We sell many many navigation devices. To make them all right and send customer to right Swindon, not yours, will cost us much.
"Can you make Wiltshire Swindon change name?
"Could it be Swindone?
"It is only one letter extra on name, our computer would see it clear and no-one in Great Briton would know.
"If you did this our customers would not get lost on way."
The Swindon we are being confused with lies north west of Cheltenham, is home to about 1,450 people and stands 34 miles from here.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book, the village sprung up around the 12th Century church, which has a bell tower and six unequally sized walls.
It remained primarily an agricultural community until the 1960s when overspill from Cheltenham started to absorb the village.
Our Swindon was also named in the Domesday book, as Suindune, a name believed to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon words swine and dun, meaning pig hill.
It was a simple market town until the industrial revolution when canals and later trains led to rapid expansion.
Loo Farpil, who works at the EU, said: "Requests to change the spelling of a town's name do not usually come to us. But when they do we carefully consider them.
"This request, however, seems to be complete gibberish.
"I think we will take great pleasure in telling this company that it can whistle.
"Swindon will not become Swindone.
"Unless it wants to."
Your Say YourSwindon Advertiser
dc, swindon says...
11:35am Tue 1 Apr 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
11:37am Tue 1 Apr 08
Cjones1234, Swindon, Peatmoor says...
11:46am Tue 1 Apr 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
11:50am Tue 1 Apr 08
gobo, any swindon I wish? says...
11:53am Tue 1 Apr 08
Dosomethingmutley, Hanger 14 Swindon says...
12:18pm Tue 1 Apr 08
It shows a little smoking dog and has been devised apparently by a Mr Hans Zoff!!.
PaulD, says...
12:24pm Tue 1 Apr 08
well done Adver
Voice of Sanity, Swindon says...
12:30pm Tue 1 Apr 08
danboyshearer, parksouth says...
1:17pm Tue 1 Apr 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
1:41pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ww, Swindon says...
1:42pm Tue 1 Apr 08
adam, Swindon says...
2:04pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ww wrote:Get a sense of humour you pr@t!
It may be an April fool, but comes across as racist and ignorant to me. Do people in the Far East really use language like 'internetty' and the other made up mis-phrases used in this article? Or is the author asking us to join in with laughing at a (non existent) accent and mistakes with phrasing?
ww, Swindon says...
2:17pm Tue 1 Apr 08
Will, Swindon says...
2:20pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ww wrote:yes they do. When we were in Tokyo, getting to our hotel was a little harder than we planned. the taxi driver didnt understand when we asked for the Hilton hotel. In a last ditch desperate attempt my mate put on a comedy japanese accent and the guy understood straight away!
It may be an April fool, but comes across as racist and ignorant to me. Do people in the Far East really use language like 'internetty' and the other made up mis-phrases used in this article? Or is the author asking us to join in with laughing at a (non existent) accent and mistakes with phrasing?
As for the article itself. Very poor effort! GWRs one a few years ago about STFC and oxford united merging was much better!
emmylou83, Stratton says...
2:21pm Tue 1 Apr 08
steve-o, Swindon says...
3:07pm Tue 1 Apr 08
DarkAuror wrote:Yeh that was good, Spurs winning something had me in stitches
and Loo Farpil, The BBC's flying penguins were better!
Oxford, Toothill says...
4:10pm Tue 1 Apr 08
steve-o, Swindon says...
4:14pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ScentCybil, Swindon says...
5:06pm Tue 1 Apr 08
town of the future, swindon says...
5:23pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ww wrote:YES THEY DO!
It may be an April fool, but comes across as racist and ignorant to me. Do people in the Far East really use language like 'internetty' and the other made up mis-phrases used in this article? Or is the author asking us to join in with laughing at a (non existent) accent and mistakes with phrasing?
I could send you loads of spam email from far eastern sales people promising things like "excellent communicate" and "postal extraordinary".
but i agree it was risky by the adver.
Overall must try harder. spotted it as soon as started reading it. MY little'un was well excited rushing home from school to tell me about they flying penguins though...til i told him was a wind-up.
Think the best ever was the white horse into a zebra a few years back.
BWB, SWINDON says...
5:30pm Tue 1 Apr 08
It may be an April fool, but comes across as racist and ignorant to me
Its do-gooders like you,that,INCITE trouble. For heavens sake get a sense of humour.
PJC, Old Town says...
6:49pm Tue 1 Apr 08
ww wrote:You've obviously never bought an Eastern made product with very poorly translated instructions! It's not racist, it just reflects an aspect of real life which others identify with. That's why it's funny. Duh!
It may be an April fool, but comes across as racist and ignorant to me. Do people in the Far East really use language like 'internetty' and the other made up mis-phrases used in this article? Or is the author asking us to join in with laughing at a (non existent) accent and mistakes with phrasing?
Captain T, Swindon says...
7:44pm Tue 1 Apr 08
Oxford, Toothill says...
7:54pm Tue 1 Apr 08
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emmylou83, Stratton says...
11:32am Tue 1 Apr 08