A Few Words about Uttoxeter.

I was reading a few words about the history of Uttoxeter today. (There’s a round stone thingy on which is writ Interesting Facts About Uttoxeter. It’s close to another stone thingy at which Dr Johnson stood in the rain all day by way of saying ‘sorry’ for something or other.)

Anyway, the few words said that Uttoxeter was founded around 600AD by the Saxons. Personally, I doubt that. If my reading of history is accurate, it would have been founded by the Angles. The Saxons founded things further south. (Even ‘Anglo-Saxons’ would have been incorrect, strictly speaking, but I can’t be bothered to elucidate.) No matter; founded it was, and functioning it still is.

But here’s a really interesting fact: if you think Uttoxeter is difficult to pronounce, be thankful you weren’t around in 600AD. Apparently it was called Wotocheshede in those days. (I swear Word’s red squiggly line is trembling.) The few words omitted to say whether or not it was pronounced ‘Uttoxeter’ – in a German accent, of course. And you might not be surprised to learn that the lazy locals call it ‘Ucheter.’

The two stone thingies

heretofore mentioned

*  *  *

While I was in whatever-you-want-to-call-it, I told some boys off for throwing pop* and chips around the pavement. (They got the lecture about starving people and wasting food first.) The pop thrower indignantly denied having thrown the chips. 'I know,' I said. The chip thrower remained silent and looked guilty. He was. 

*The generic term in England for all fizzy soft drinks.*

** Using footnotes makes your blog look academic.**