Most of us would like to claim we have a sophisticated sense of humour – but in reality, we all love a juvenile laugh.
And there’s no easier place to find one than right outside your front door.
Few things bring out our inner child quite like finding a rudely-named street or place, and thanks to the English language being so on-the-nose it its naming style, Greater Manchester is full of them – with a road bearing bottom, dick, or fold everywhere you look.
Reports may have shown house prices can fall by staggering amounts based on ‘undesirable’ street names, but that doesn’t mean they’re not ammusing.
Here’s some of the rudest road names in the region.
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Hardicker Lane
Levenshulme
This one’s all in the pronunciation.
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It’d be fairly easy to overlook the innuendo in this Levenshulme street name if you hadn’t seen it written down, but the slower you pronounce it, the funnier it is, and although the story behind the unfortunate side street off Stockport Road is unknown, it’ll have you smiling nonetheless.
Flapper Fold Lane
Atherton
The name is funny on is own, and then the alliteration only makes it funnier.
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Despite the name though, there is nothing that intrinsically rude about it as a ‘fold’ is just a common type of terrain in northern England and is usually described ‘a slight hill or hollow in the ground’.
Cock Clod Street
Radcliffe
This just rounds rude, doesn’t it? It’s hard to deny.
It isn’t quite what it seems though, as given the fact the sport was once a pretty popular pastime in Radcliffe, the street’s name derives from its history as the site of a cock-fighting clod – which is a round patch of earth often surrounded by seating.
Dick Field Clough
Ramsbottom
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We don’t really need to explain why this one’s on the list, and the ‘Dick Field’ part is pretty self explanatory, and then while the dictionary definition of clough is just ‘a deep valley or ravine’, it’s clearly got some hilarious connotations.
The fact that the street is in Ramsbottom just makes it funnier too.
Holebottom
Ashton-under-Lyne
It doesn’t get much more explicit than Holebottom, does it?
This snigger-inducing cul-de-sac is just around the corner from Broadoak Primary School and again, although the origins of the name are unclear, it’s likely to have been a source of embarrassment for people living there for years – and the butt of all jokes for passing schoolchildren.
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Slag Lane
Leigh
Not only is this one rudely-named, it’s actually pretty derogatory as well.
It does have a history though, as this unfortunately-named street in Lowton is thought to have roots in the area’s coal mining heritage, with one theory involving the family of a local poet called John Byram, who’s coach became stuck on a dirt track on the way to church one Sunday, and to stop it happening again, they had the road covered in coal slag from nearby Bickershaw Colliery.
The road then became known as “The Slag Lane”.
Slag Lane in Lowton / Credit: Google Maps
Helmet Street
Ardwick
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In the early 20th century, Helmet Street in Ardwick was home to Holt & Pennington – one of Manchester’s most prominent timber merchants.
When it comes to the name ‘helmet’ though, we can only hope it has military connections.
Nob End
Bolton
This one isn’t strictly a street name, but how can we miss this off the list?
The 21-acre site in Kearsley near Bolton was once a dumping ground for sulphuric acid and washing soda during the 19th century, but it’s now a popular nature reserve that’s home to some rare orchids and beautiful wildflowers.
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According to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the comical name actually derives from the rounded premonitory on which the reserve stands by the River Croal.
Featured Image – Google Maps
Trending
Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors with ‘no previous experience’ needed
Emily Sergeant
Northern has just launched another massive recruitment drive, and is looking to hire hundreds of new train drivers and conductors.
The best bit? You don’t even need any previous rail experience to apply.
The train operator says it is looking to recruit as many as 300 drivers and conductors across right the north of England this year – with the new recruits all set to form part of the team that is responsible for running the over 2,500 services Northern provides to more that 500 stations throughout the region each day.
Northern says both its driver and conductor roles “require no previous rail industry experience”, as full paid-for training will be provided at its academies in Manchester and Leeds.
The company wants to welcome 108 new train drivers and 198 conductors in 2024.
Northern is hiring hundreds of new train drivers and conductors across the region / Credit: Northern
The train driver roles – which will be advertised in the coming months in Manchester, as well as other nearby locations like Blackburn, Blackpool, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield, and more – come with a starting salary of £23,000 a year, which eventually rises to £54,500 after completing a 64-week training course.
The conductor roles, on the other hand – many of which will also be advertised in Manchester too – come with starting salaries of £22,000 that rise to £29,000 on completion of 16-weeks of training.
Northern says its 2024 recruitment drive is part of a “normal and ongoing recruitment process” across the region, and comes as a handful of its other team members retire, earn promotion, or move on to the next stage of their career.
No previous rail experience is required for the roles / Credit: Northern
“We have a range of rewarding roles for anyone who wants to become part of a dedicated team,” commented Tricia Williams, who is the Chief Operating Officer at Northern, as the recruitment drive launched this week.
“We are looking for customer-focused people with excellent communication skills, who thrive in a dynamic environment and may not have considered a career in rail before. We want our workforce to reflect the communities we serve, and we’re proud to include people from all walks of life in our team, from military veterans and ex-police officers, to former office workers, and stay-at-home parents.”
Ms Williams said the rail operator will be recruiting all throughout 2024, and is encouraging hopeful candidates to register for job alerts on the Northern website so they don’t miss out.
You can find out more information and apply for roles here.
Featured Image – Northern
Trending
Aldi’s viral sell-out BBQ pizza oven is back in UK stores this week
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has announced that its viral BBQ pizza oven that absolutely flies off the shelves every time it goes on sale is coming back to UK stores.
And it’s just in time for the temperatures to soar this spring and summer.
Known and loved by shoppers nationwide for “delivering delicious restaurant-style pizzas” at a fraction of the price, the BBQ Pizza Oven first went on sale in Aldi stores back in 2022, and has been in high-demand from pizza lovers to return ever since.
Described as being “practical and compact”, the oven sits atop of your regular barbecue and is compatible with both gas or charcoal grills.
Aldi’s viral sell-out BBQ pizza oven is back in UK stores this week / Credit: Aldi | Amirali Mirhashemian (via Unsplash)
Thanks to featuring both a high-quality ceramic pizza stone and an integrated thermometer, this means anyone, from the self-professed pizza professionals right through to the cooking rookies, can chef-up a 12-inch pizza in just 10 minutes flat.
Aldi says shoppers can even “save themselves some serious dough” too, as this spring and summer essential is on sale for 55% less than an equivalent product at Dunelm, so there’ll be no need to part with that extra £49.
Aldi’s BBQ Pizza Oven will only set you back £39.99 when it goes on sale this week.
You can chef-up a 12-inch pizza in just 10 minutes flat / Credit: Aldi
Available from this Thursday (21 March), and landing in the classic ‘Specialbuys’ middle aisle section of Aldis across the UK, shoppers looking to feast on hearty pizza while the sun shines will need to be quick if they want to get their hands on one though, as it’s expected to sell out fast, just as it has done in previous years.
And, as is the case with all Specialbuys, “once they’re gone, they’re gone”.
If the BBQ Pizza Oven sounds like a pizza you (pun very-much intended… regrettably), then you can find the opening times of your nearest store on the Aldi website here.