New place names for Paragon and Brentford Quarter
Following up on Matt Harmer's recent appeal for ideas for place names at Paragon and Brentford Quarter sites here are some thoughts I have recently passed on to the planning department. Like Matt I can not say that I was particularly excited by, or indeed support, any of the ideas floated earlier this month.I believe that links to the history - recent and long gone - of a place gives substance to new developments and may contribute to creating a community rooted in the place. Information boards or plaques should be erected explaining the significance of the names to newcomers on both of these sites. North Brentford QuarterPrimary suggestion: The Golden Mile (Quarter). Streets/lanes/mews and buildings within it might all be named after the famous businesses which used to line The Golden Mile, as the Brentford section of the Great West Road was known. Most of these are listed in: The History of the Great West Road, 1995, by James Marshall (published Hounslow). E.g. Simmonds, BOAC, Macleans, Trico, Firestone, Gillette etc etc Fairly recently the tower has been renamed Wallis House, after its architect (previous names included GSK House and Beecham House). Perhaps it would be appropriate for Wallis House’s name to be retained? ParagonThe following are names of prominent past residents of Brentford. Overall, in view of the proximity to the nursing school of TVU I think a name linked with health or education would be most appropriate. The “Boston Brewery” link may be appreciated by the students living on or close to the site though …although maybe nursing students take better care of their health than most!• Mary Trimmer, local exponent of the Sunday and Ragged School movement C18th. Dilapidated, one of her schools stands next to St Georges Church. Booklet about her by Mrs Yarde is published by Hounslow. Lived the last few years of her life in a house in Windmill Road, probably a little to the South of the Paragon site. • John Horne Tooke C18th, philosopher, philologist, minister at St Lawrence's church, friend of John Wilkes. Lived for some years in a cottage in Windmill Lane, probably a little to the South of the Paragon site. • John Wilkes, famous C18th parliamentarian and upholder of democracy whose hustings during the notorious Middlesex elections were held in the Butts (and depicted by Chiswick artist Hogarth). Sub-sections could be named after his broadsheet The North Briton and after the slogan “Wilkes and Liberty!” • Dame Mary Spencer, resident of Boston Manor and doer of good works for the poor, established local charities etc • JMW Turner, artist who spent part of his childhood staying with his uncle the butcher on the site of what is now The Weir restaurant/bar (formerly The White Horse), just off the Butts. • Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet, educated for a few years at Brentford. • Sir John Rennie, engineer, educated for a few years at Brentford. • Thomas Layton, antiquarian and collector who bequeathed his collection (now largely dispersed) to the people of Brentford • Fred Turner, first librarian at Brentford responsible for a photographic record of the town in the early 1900s Like Matt I look forward to hearing your thoughts on place names. Best wishesAndrew
Andrew Dakers ● 7365d13 Comments ● 7359d