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Should it be Hyndburn or Accrington?

9:26am Friday 1st June 2007

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A COUNCIL wants to change its name - because bosses say it is time to "drop the dead donkey".

Officials at Hyndburn Council say they spend too much time having to explain where they represent when trying to attract investment to the borough.

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They are are considering re-branding themselves as Accrington and Districts Council in a bid to create a clearer identity.

The move is being touted as part of the borough's renaissance' as it forges ahead with a series of redevelopment projects, including the Church and Oswaldtwistle Gateway scheme, housing market renewal and the regeneration of Accrington town centre.

Council leader, Coun Peter Britcliffe, said: "Since we were saddled with the name of Hyndburn when local government was reorganised 33 years ago, we have been trying to sell a dead donkey - and we've failed. Nobody has a clue where Hyndburn is.

"But what we do have is a collection of townships, each with their own character and history, and people who are fiercely proud of where they live.

"We want to promote our townships. It is time to drop the dead donkey."

Under outline plans, the borough's five main towns - Accrington, Great Harwood, Rishton, Clayton-le-Moors and Oswaldtwistle - would have their own crests, which would then appear on the council's logo. These crests, based on original coats of arms and mayoral badges, could also appear on signs at the town's borders.

Coun Britcliffe added: "When a civil servant, probably down south, decided to group us all together and call us Hyndburn they wiped the individual areas and their history off the map. It is time to put them back."

Vladimir Pejcinovic, bus-iness development officer for the council, said: "We have lost the historical identity of the whole area, and those of the individual towns have been swallowed up and suppressed by that of Hyndburn."

Former mayor, Coun Dr Mohamed Rahman, said he had had to explain where the borough was many times while out on official mayoral duties, but added: "Everybody knew where Accrington was because of Accrington Stanley."

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said there was some merit in the plans.

He said: "As MP for the area I am always having to explain where my constit-uency is.

"I would like to see a name that gives power to the towns other than Accrington.

"Accrington and Districts Council has a bit of a 1920s ring to it and doesn't give any power to the outlying areas."

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Your Say YourBlackburn Citizen

Anthony, Accrington,Lancs says...
9:39am Fri 1 Jun 07

Hyndburn is a simple easy name that everyone knows-KEEP IT!

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Ian G, England says...
9:59am Fri 1 Jun 07

And Accrington isn't?!?

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me, accrington says...
10:12am Fri 1 Jun 07

I lived in Accrington for 26 years and even i dont know where Hyndburn is!

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Tony, says...
10:36am Fri 1 Jun 07

How come they suddenly realise this after 33 years? Kirklees, Calderdale and Halton, among many others, don't seem to have a problem.

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Anthony, Accrington,Lancs says...
10:39am Fri 1 Jun 07

Ian G wrote:
And Accrington isn't?!?
To call it Accrington And Districts is a hark back to the old days with district councils and parishes looking after their own affairs;we've come too far now to go back.

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paul, not Hyndburn says...
10:42am Fri 1 Jun 07

when asked my place of birth i always reply at roughlee in accrington and proud of it .

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Billy, Oswaldtwistle says...
11:06am Fri 1 Jun 07

I would prefer they used the money to build a big wall at the end of High Street to keep the Accrington low life from entering Oswaldtwistle by the back door.

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Ian G, England says...
11:07am Fri 1 Jun 07

Anthony wrote:
Ian G wrote: And Accrington isn\'t?!?
To call it Accrington And Districts is a hark back to the old days with district councils and parishes looking after their own affairs;we\'ve come too far now to go back.
What does it matter that in the past the council and parishes looked after their own affairs and that to a few people the name Accrington and Districts would "hark back to the old days"?

At the end of the day it's just a name and if Accrington rather than Hyndburn makes it easier for everyone, so be it.

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Ed Jameson, Blackburn says...
11:10am Fri 1 Jun 07

How about calling it Lower Blackburn? That would more accurately reflect the feelings of most in East Lancashire - including those on some councils. Maybe Upper Knuzden?

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Anthony, Accrington,Lancs says...
11:19am Fri 1 Jun 07

Ian G wrote:
Anthony wrote:
Ian G wrote: And Accrington isn\'t?!?
To call it Accrington And Districts is a hark back to the old days with district councils and parishes looking after their own affairs;we\'ve come too far now to go back.
What does it matter that in the past the council and parishes looked after their own affairs and that to a few people the name Accrington and Districts would "hark back to the old days"? At the end of the day it's just a name and if Accrington rather than Hyndburn makes it easier for everyone, so be it.
But CALLING EVERYTHING ACCRINGTON IS A CONFUSING SET OF AFFAIRS!

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vincent, Accrington says...
12:05pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Let`s say Accrington and be proud of it.

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Anthony, says...
1:09pm Fri 1 Jun 07

vincent wrote:
Let`s say Accrington and be proud of it.
So Rishton Great Harwood Oswaldtwistle etc all named Accrington don't talk thick!

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John, says...
1:59pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Use hyndburn as a postal address instead of Oswaldtwistle,Rishto
n, Clayton-le Moors etc Post town Accrington.
Accrington drags the all area down, why would we all want to be associated with it. As an Oswaldtwistle business we always describe our location as near Blackburn.

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Centaur, Germany says...
2:37pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Ed Jameson wrote:
How about calling it Lower Blackburn? That would more accurately reflect the feelings of most in East Lancashire - including those on some councils. Maybe Upper Knuzden?
Might as well call it..."Lower Down", because nobody knows what Hyndburn is...even the river Hydburn is known as the River Stink!.
Sorry it's just another way for the politicians to throw more money away. New stationery, new pamphlets, new crests....money into the River Stink!!

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Don, Rishton says...
2:57pm Fri 1 Jun 07

I suggest Accrington with the forgotten four,

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Tolerance, says...
2:59pm Fri 1 Jun 07

'Hyndburn Stanley' doesn't have the same romantic ring to it does it?

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Ed Jameson, Blackburn says...
3:47pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Ok, Upper Blackburn anyone? That'll show 'em. We've a chance here to really make a name for ourselves. How about Hobbiton, then we can get Lord of the Rings mugs printed up. Or East Lancerton. How about Coppice City. Acorntown? Stanleyville? Britclifferton?

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James, Accrington says...
3:52pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Sounds good

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Antony Hudson, Accrington says...
4:44pm Fri 1 Jun 07

It is something that should have existed before.

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well wisher, Lancs says...
4:56pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Hyndburn was a stupid idea from the start. Travel away from the area and nobody has heard of it. Everyone has heard of Accrington even if it's only through the bricks and the football team.

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me, Accrington says...
5:24pm Fri 1 Jun 07

Billy wrote:
I would prefer they used the money to build a big wall at the end of High Street to keep the Accrington low life from entering Oswaldtwistle by the back door.
The only reason Accringtonians enter ossy (holding our noses tight and watching out for young anti-social low-life) is to use it as a shortcut to Blackburn.

Why not just have an Accrington Borough Council and leave all the other districts to make their own council called Scummy distrct council.

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gemma, says...
8:07pm Fri 1 Jun 07

to keep the Accrington low life from entering Oswaldtwistle by the back door.
How highly offensive! we all live in the same district, and since we are "low life" in accrington, i take it as you NEVER enter Accrington to do anything, you petty man!

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Adrian Shurmer, Great Harwood says...
10:53pm Fri 1 Jun 07

This name discussion should not be a problem for the residents of Great Harwood. For goodness sake, the Hyndburn Boundary should be re drawn at Hyndburn Bridge and Lee Lane, Rishton, and Great Harwood should become part of the Ribble Valley where it belongs.

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john, Accrington says...
12:20pm Sat 2 Jun 07

accrington , Oswaldtwistle etc are names of places Hyndburn is just the title of a beurocratic organisation and no one uses it as an address so why should waste a fortune on changing it .

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vinny, accrington says...
9:16am Sun 3 Jun 07

Billy wrote:
I would prefer they used the money to build a big wall at the end of High Street to keep the Accrington low life from entering Oswaldtwistle by the back door.
should that not be the other way round?

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tom, accrington says...
2:33pm Sun 3 Jun 07

just call it hyndburn is is a complete waste of time and tax payers money.

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BEN BRASSINNGON, ACCRINGTON says...
12:10pm Thu 7 Jun 07

I HAVE LIVED IN ACCY FOR ALL MI LIFE WE SHOULD LEVE IT AS IT IS

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David, East Lancashire says...
1:23pm Mon 11 Jun 07

I grew up in Oswaldtwistle, lived in Accrington for a few years, then Clitheroe and am now in Burnley (cultural tour of the East of the greatest county in England, you see!) I really don't care whether they keep Hyndburn or revert to Accrington and district (there are still signs about dog fouling on lamposts in some parts of Ossy that still say 'Accrington District' on them). All I would ask is PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't adopt anyting that refers to that 'other place' to the west which begins with a B. The best thing about Blackburn is the road out and the fact that there are now signs at the borders welcoming folk back into Lancashire!

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Hadrian, Accrington says...
2:39pm Wed 13 Jun 07

I wouldn't mind the area being called Accrington and Districts but you have to remember the other towns as well. If we get called anything to do with Blackburn i shall move away. At least all the old borders will be put in place and the area well advertised. Lots of work to do in the area though on a whole and they should look at restoring the county paletine of Lancashire!

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GEORGE, now in london says...
10:38am Sat 16 Jun 07

I LIVED IN ACCRINGTON FROM 1987 TO 2004 LOVED THE PLACE AND THOUGH LIVING IN LANCS FOR 29 YEARS HAD HEARD OF ACCRINGTON BEFORE COMING FROM LONDON BUT NEVER HEARD OF HYNDBURN ??? I GOT MARRIED IN 2004 AND MOVED BACK TO LONDON BUT WILL NEVER FORGET ACCRINGTON I WAS IN YOUR PAPER AND OTHERS WITH MY CUSTOMISED VEHICLES & ART 1993 = 2003 GEORGE THE ECCENTRIC ARTIST, LOVE YA ALL

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Raees, says...
1:10pm Mon 18 Jun 07

a wise man once said, "a rose by any other name smells as sweet".

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Steve Fitton, Huntingdon,Cambs. says...
7:59pm Wed 27 Jun 07

Having looked at arial veiws of Acrington the town has grown in size with leaps and bounds.I have not been back since the 1960s.
Some comments are derogatory and deplorable. Those that made them are surley not of original Accrington stock. That makes your comments nul and void. All my decendants come from Accrington,Haslingdo
n, Bury and Summereseat.All were proud of where they came from. Stop putting the place down and remember if it were not for places like these you would not be here. This town was built on a lot of sweat tears and early deaths.Remember that and be proud.Cotton came along time before you.

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pete, baxenden says...
5:08pm Sun 8 Jul 07

let's just face facts and give in to the government.

Blackburn with Accrington - here we come.

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Lance Travis, Mafikeng South africa says...
11:45am Tue 10 Jul 07

My first twenty three years were spent in Accrington.
The Hyndburn River was commonly known as the 'River Stink'. If you wish to re-name a town names by the Romans so many centuries ago (Oak Ring Ton) then change the name of dear old Accie Stanley to Hyndburn Wanderers and see what a noise is made then.
Accrington is a proud town, and it sems that the 20's to the MP is a doubtful period. He can't remember or understand the pride we had in Howard and Bulloughs, Nori (on Whalley Road), or the coal pits that abounded and kept the folk in work.
Tell him to go back to Wesminster Village and do his duty, give accrington support.
Lance Mafikeng South Africa


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kirsty mccallum, falkirk scotland says...
2:33pm Thu 12 Jul 07

i lived in accy all my life untilthe age of 18 and i loved the place wheni ws younger i remember when we could all hang around with each other no matter what part of hyndburn we was from bang your heads together and get along ACCY IS THE BEST!!!!!

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Mike Hunt, Great Harwood says...
12:23pm Sat 21 Jul 07

I'm amazed that the commoners have the opportunity to discuss this issue, or is it just another ploy for Britcliffe to earn a few brownie points from the muppets who elected him!

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Nick, Read says...
9:49pm Wed 15 Aug 07

I don't think that naming a borough after one place in that borough is a good idea at all. Look at the boroughs of Bolton, Bury, etc - what about the villages and towns within those boroughs that are now described as being "in" Bolton, etc, and Bolton is "in" Manchester. Ridiculous. Do Great Harwood, Os'twistle, Rishton, etc want to be places 'in' Accrington, or in a place with a neutral name? If any name should be revived, it is the 800 year old county name -LANCASHIRE, which is now used solely as the name of central Lancs and a big chunk of Yorkshire! It has completely disfigured local identity. Those signs around Blackburn welcoming people to Lancashire are an insult - the town left the council's area, not the county. Who do these people who screw about with our identity think they are?

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Nick, Read says...
9:54pm Wed 15 Aug 07

To add to my point, look a few posts up at the one from Huntingdon 'in' Cambridgeshire. Huntingdon is in Huntingdonshire! The county stopped being an administrative area, it didn't stop existing, but because the new authority was only called Cambridgeshire, instead of Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire, many people there don't even realise where they live!

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Dave Niven, Cambridge says...
3:15pm Tue 2 Oct 07

Does anyone know why they called the area Hyndburn. Is it after the name of a river, valley ? Any ideas ?

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Katie, Blackburn says...
3:26pm Thu 4 Oct 07

"Some civil servant from down south" ??? I think you'll find that 33 years ago when the re-naming was taking place, my grandad Stuart Mercer spoke up about the change and suggested Hyndburn as a reference to the River Hyndburn. He was a man who had lived in Accrington and Clayton - Le - Moors all his life and was also Mayor at the time The Queen paid a visit to the town. This article says nothing about why the name - change took place in the first place and only tries to fuel prejudice! I would like Hyndburn to stay as Hyndburn, but I am obviously biased as of my Grandad's involvement, but whatever happens, please respect the people that were MP's and council constituants at the time!

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Dave NIven, Cambridge says...
12:23pm Tue 16 Oct 07

The river seems like the obvious explanation. Wasnt the MP at one time in the sixties for the area a chap called Harry Hynd ? Could this be another coincidetal explanation ?

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