On the island of Anglesey in Wales is a village that goes by the name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Since I started this series I have been wanting to go here to photograph the railway station name board. On our way back from Dublin, today was the day.The signs on the edge of town have the shortened Llanfair PG on them.
Weighing in at 58 letters, it is Europe's longest place name.
A little lesson in pronunciation. You have to break it into smaller pieces.
Llan-vire-pool-guin-gill-go-ger-u-queern-drob-ooll-llandus-ilio-gogo-goch. Now after 3, go on have a go, 1,2,3.....
So, it has to mean something doesn't it.
St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave". However, it was artificially contrived in the 1860s as a publicity stunt, to give the station the longest name of any railway station in the United Kingdom.
Could you imagine if any local kids were named after their town. That would be a cruel trick for that poor Kindergartener when learning to write their name. Wowsa, that is a crazy long name. Great and interesting capture!
Ah Sean, memories - I went to a sea training college here and we'd all get marched down to this station for the train home at the end of term. Horrible place it was, the college that is, not the village.
@megsy I'm good Megsy. I've been off teh scale busy and had a few work issues that were like wrestling with Alligators. I'm back fo rthis weekend, busy with cricket and then off on cricket tour to the IOW on monday. Planning to catch up with lots of lovely work from the best street photographer in Old London Town later :)x First though, we are watching Bladerunner with the kids for the first time.....I am vvvvv excited!!
enjoy your weekend :-), I am off to the Queens Jubilee Thames Pageant on Sunday - received an invite from my companies solicitors who have offices over looking the Thames right next to Tower Bridge so hoping to get some good shot - albeit I can't wait to take candid people shots!
Great stunt. Don't know if there are one or two letter place names around but Victoria has a town with a name of just three letters called Moe (pron mow-ee). Not sure you'd want to go there to photograph anything but still... it's there at the opposite end of the number of letters scale.
Wonderful! Guess you needed the wide-angle lens for that one! I find the sign "Holyhead" on the fence below amusing as well, because after trying to pronounce those 58 letters a few times, I'd be saying, "Holy! My head!!" LOL. :)