Naughty place names are too rude for the WI

An author appearing at a Women’s Institute event was banned from selling merchandise featuring rude place names - including Wetwang, Cockermouth and Bell End.
Coasters that had to be covered up at the WI's Centennial Fair in Harrogate. Ross Parry.Coasters that had to be covered up at the WI's Centennial Fair in Harrogate. Ross Parry.
Coasters that had to be covered up at the WI's Centennial Fair in Harrogate. Ross Parry.

Dominic Greyer said organisers of the WI’s Centennial Fair in Harrogate asked him to cover up the offending mugs and tea towels.

He was selling merchandise featuring some of Britain’s saucier-named towns and villages.

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They include Sandy Balls, Wetwang, Cockermouth, Three Cocks, Twatt, Bell End, Slack Bottom, Butts View, Cocking, Minge Lane, Juggs Lane, Furry Way and Rings End.

He was selling the merchandise for his book ‘Lesser Spotted Britain’ at the Yorkshire event when he was asked to hide the cheeky items.

Dominic said he was approached by a male organiser who described some of the promotional material as “unacceptable”.

He says he was then asked to put greetings cards in brown paper bags and cover place names with ‘censored’ stickers.

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He added: “It was pretty farcical, it was like I was running an adult shop.

“I had to cover up what on paper seem like rude names but, in context, are real places from around the UK.

“It’s just ‘Carry On’ humour, it’s not like you can’t drive past these places, they’re all out there on the street for people to see.”

Dominic, from Manchester said ladies approaching his stall during the event at the weekend were “gobsmacked” by the move and thought it was a marketing gimmick.

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“Some of them were pretty put out and thought it was patronising,” he added.

Dominic said the decision to ask him to cover up his stock had a significant impact on business.

The Women’s Institute have been contacted for a comment.

The locations deemed ‘too rude’ to be viewed were:

Sandy Balls in Hampshire,

Wetwang, East Yorkshire

Cockermouth, Cumbria

Three Cocks, Powys

Twatt, Shetland Islands

Bell End, Northamptonshire

Slack Bottom, West Yorkshire

Butts View, Derbyshire

Cocking, Sussex

Bully Hole Bottom, Monmouthshire

Minge Lane, Worcestershire

Assington, Suffolk

Juggs Lane, West Sussex

Furry Way, Cornwall

Rings End, Cambridgeshire

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