Latest news with #Mary'sChurch
Daily Mirror
18 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Tourists are flocking to 'quirky' UK village purely because of its name
There are plenty of reasons to visit the charming UK village but most tourists admit they're there purely because of the destination's memorable name Usually when planning a staycation, most people will look at the hotels, attractions and restaurants on offer in a destination; but there's one tiny village in Wales that's catching people's attention purely because of its name. While Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is hardly a new destination, in recent years thanks to social media it's continued to become increasingly popular for UK holidays, as people flock to the spot to get photos next to the village's station signs. After all, at 58 letters long it's not one you'd see every day! The name is so lengthy that some signs have to be specially made to accommodate it. As a result, tourists are flocking there to snap a photo by the signs, with visitors having to now queue for the photo opportunity. It's a far cry from the UK's five worst seaside towns including a resort with a one-star beach. Locals have embraced the fame with shops selling mugs, magnets and other souvenirs emblazoned with the full name. Travel experts at walking holiday specialists Mickledore say that that name was "deliberately lengthened in the 19th century as a publicity stunt to attract visitors and boost trade". They added: "The Welsh language is known for its compound words and descriptive place names, often drawn from local geography, landmarks, or saints. In this case, the name loosely translates to 'St Mary's Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave'." Clearly those Victorians had the right idea, as centuries later and that publicity stunt still works. In fact, it's estimated that around 200,000 tourists visit the village every year, just to snap photos right by the signs and say that they've been able to tick it off the bucket list. "You have to visit here, just to get a photo of the signs.. There is one on the station building, and one on the platform. The station is still in use today, and there is free parking next to a small mall, where there is a nice gift shop," one happy holidaymaker wrote on Tripadvisor. Another added: "This is the most interesting place that you mustn't miss if you visit Anglesey. The longest train station name that you can never find anywhere else, in Welsh language." Luckily for tourists who turn up, there's more to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch than just its name. Because of its popularity, you can find everything from cosy cafés to boutiques and budget-friendly hotels in the area, not to mention it's right by the Menai Strait so it's ideal for hikers and ramblers who want to do some exploring. Oh, and as for how you pronounce it? The Mickledore team have put together a handy explainer. They added: "The generally accepted pronunciation in Welsh is: [ɬanˌvairˌpuɬˌɡwɨnˌɡɨɬˌɡɔˌɡɛrəˌxwɨrnˌdrɔˌbʊɬˌɬanˌtəsˌɪljɔˌɡɔˌɡɔˌɡoːx]. For English speakers, that's 'clan-vire-pooll-gwin-gill-go-ger-uh-kwin-drob-ool-llan-tis-il-io-go-go-goch'."
BBC News
25-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Darlington church food bank to limit people to one bag over costs
A food bank is to hand out just one bag of food a month because it is running out of Mary's Church, in the Cockerton area of Darlington, said it was struggling to maintain the service, which could come to an Damon Bage said the church was spending more than £200 per week on the food bank and if the level of spending continued it would need to close by July."So we don't close fully we've had to make the incredibly difficult decision to drop down our offering to one bag a month beginning in May," he said. "In the intervening weeks, clients are welcome to come and drop in for coffee and help themselves to whatever fresh food we have had donated that week."The food bank will still be open every week and new clients who come along will be given food bags for four weeks. Sadly, we can't sustain that for everyone all the time." 'Wake-up call' St Mary's made the announcement just days after King's Church, also in Darlington, revealed it had scaled back its food bank operation following a drop in service provided more than 125,000 free meals to people last year but saw its donations dry up despite increased demand, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Conservative Jonathan Dulston said the cuts should act as a wake-up call for Labour-led Darlington Borough Council."This is now an opportunity for us to rethink how our food banks across the borough work together in partnership," he said. Money from the council's Household Support Fund was allocated towards King's Church food bank to help keep it Borough Council has been approached for a comment. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
