Big day in Derry City tomorrow.
Look out for a post on Slugger from Mr BBC or Data about the “UK” City of Culture. The programme will be announced tomorrow.
Although I have a lot of friends up there, I see it as yet another “Bread and Circus” Event. No doubt BBC Norn Iron News and UTV will be live from the North West. A beaming Donna Traynor and a beaming Paul Clark of the Covenant will bring us the latest good news story.
Which brings me to the odd creeping fact that “Derry-Londonderry” is gaining a kinda currency as the semi-official name of the City. At some point, I would expect an official announcement to that effect. There seem to be being prepared for that.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Will be in Doire tomorrow as a matter of coincidence.
Regarding the semi-official new name, I think it’s a welcome step as we all know what the ‘official’ name used to be. It’s just preparing certain folks for the inevitable, they should just get used to it I suppose 🙂
Certainly the whole “Stroke City” thing is a bit silly. And its generational. A few years ago on a quiet Sunday, a Canadian tourist asked a Translink employee about a bus to “Derry” and was told not from this station (Glengall Street). He went to the Laganside Centre and was told correctly that it was Glengall Street.
He missed his “first” bus. Derry hosts complained. Translink apology.
And of course we had the silly situation where BBC,UTV alternate the words in their reports with “Derry” and “Londonderry”.
Even in the TV western series “Alias Smith and Jones” Kid Curry told a feisty red headed Irish girl that his folks came from “Londonderry” and she said “you must be Orange”.
But there was some yacht or whatever called “Derry-Londonderry” earlier this year and I suspect the population of Derry are being softened up for an official change of name…….”Derry-Londonderry”
I always thought the use of stroke was more to do with the people being on benefits and stroking the exchequer!
I think an official change of name would be a great step in a direction we all know where it’s going. No one in Doire calls it the ‘L’ word, no matter which side of the divide they are on.