Stockport renamed "Scottport" for a day

[Couru]

Apparently the Beeb, Ellie Brennan and Kate Bottley have pulled some strings to get all the boards and displays at Stockport station to instead read "Scottport", to promote Scott Mills taking over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

What do people think about this? Personally I find it baffling that navigational aids can be changed out for a joke (there's no mention of advertising income). Can't ever imagine them pulling a stunt like this with road signs, though...

Stockport train station commuters stumped by 'Scottport' rebrand

Stockport station is renamed 'Scottport' to celebrate Scott Mills' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show debut.

www.bbc.co.uk

A spokeswoman for the station told Mills on air: "The team have been working so hard right the way through the night to change Stockport to Scottport.

Mills, who said he used to live "quite near" Stockport, described the changes as "bonkers" and "like a fever dream" as he thanked the station team.

Stockport station renamed Scottport to mark Scott Mills’ new radio show

Signage and screens changed for 24 hours to welcome veteran BBC presenter to Radio 2 breakfast show

www.theguardian.com

What gift do you get Scott Mills as a welcome to the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show?, asked the travel presenter Ellie Brennan. You rename Stockport train station Scottport, obviously.

Mills followed in the footsteps of Terry Wogan, Chris Evans and Zoe Ball on Monday by taking the reins of one of the UK’s biggest radio shows.

Shortly after 8am, Brennan revealed that she had used her travel connections and credentials to get Mills a gift – but things had got out of hand.

 

[The Bear]

This isn't a new idea, it's been done before at another station & it causes absolute confusion. Particularly among non-regular passengers.

 

[Andover]

Completely nuts. If you actually want to go there, rename the station - but I doubt the power of nepotism stretches that far.

 

[A Challenge]

TfL seem to particularly like this, not a fan of these myself but at least it doesn't seem to include departure boards at other stations like GTR do with Brighton just for Halloween

 

[jfollows]

Stupid idea, completely.
Makes me groan - what on earth do they think they are doing and what ought they be doing? Making life harder for many passengers at the cost of something many of us don’t find amusing in the least. Do they think they have to prove they’re “human”?

 

[Hadlow Road]

Perhaps Stockton on Tees, Nova Scotia, Stockholm, Marcus Brigstocke and too many to list turned down any offer.

 

[The Bear]

Stupid idea, completely.
Makes me groan - what on earth do they think they are doing and what ought they be doing? Making life harder for many passengers at the cost of something many of us don’t find amusing in the least. Do they think they have to prove they’re “human”?

Agreed and just by way of a change it might help if Avanti management concentrated on running a railway rather than daft vanity projects that the vast majority of people don't know or care about.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Some spoilsports will tut tut this, but it's all in the name of fun. Who cares if a few passengers don't understand and then don't get off the train and get carried to Manchester Piccadily or Buxton or Crewe by accident.

They're probably foreigners anyway. Let them learn about Great British humour the hard way!

Ha, they might even have a panic attack or get pulled in for not having a valid ticket! That'll give them something to write about on their facebook pages.

Heck, some might get off, think it's the wrong stop and try to get back on again just as the doors close. What a scream!

There could even be an accident at the platform edge, but hey, you can't make a humorous omlette without cracking a few eggs, can you?

Celebrity Rules – Ain't it great?

Edit: Just for the record, I'm in sarcasm mode. I not only think this move totally unfunny and ridiculous (as per posters above), I think it is positively dangerous.

Meanwhile, over zealous health and safety measure in other areas or railway life help send fares skyrocketing beyond the means of many would-be passengers.

 

[Segedunum]

As suggested in the opening post, imagine if a load of road signs had this done to them? There'd be hell to pay. I wish operators would pack it in with renaming stations like this.

There's a difference between changing *one* sign for a publicity stunt and photo op, and renaming absolutely everything on it.

 

[DarloRich]

a bit of annoying and stupid yet pointlessly harmless fluff

 

[miami]

TFL renamed Bond Street to Burberry Street a while ago

Tube trains are now departing from ‘Burberry Street’ station for London Fashion Week

For the next few days, you can catch a London Underground or Elizabeth line train from Burberry Street tube station.

www.ianvisits.co.uk

What was Bond Street station has been transformed into ‘Burberry Street’ for the duration of London Fashion Week, which runs until next Tuesday.

This transformation isn’t limited to just a name change as the ‘Burberry Street’ station makeover extends to its entrance, signage, and Transport for London (TfL) roundels adorning the Central, Jubilee, and Elizabeth line platforms. These elements now sport “knight blue,” a hue introduced by Chief Creative Officer Daniel Lee as one of Burberry’s new symbols of the house.

I assume it makes the station operator a fair chunk of change. Like all adverts I dislike it.

 

[The Bear]

There's a difference between changing *one* sign for a publicity stunt and photo op, and renaming absolutely everything on it.

Exactly.
One of the previously occasions they did this was for a certain large music festival & it was thought that only a couple of signs were going to be done but some manager in their ivory tower decided to do the whole lot. In that particular case the confused passengers who missed the renamed station were further hampered getting their renamed destination by the skip-stop timetable, of which half the trains are run by another TOC who from memory weren't very sympathetic.

 

[Couru]

I assume it makes the station operator a fair chunk of change. Like all adverts I dislike it.

At least Burberry Street, Playstation Victoria Line, and Picardilly Circus made money. As far as I can tell, Avanti have done this for free.

I seem to remember Southern doing similar for Brighton and Crawley at Halloween (becoming Frighton and Creepy Crawley). I understand the want for joviality on the rails, but there are ways to do that without assuming every passenger is going to understand.

 

[miami]

I wonder if they considered renaming "New Mills Central".

As far as I can tell, Avanti have done this for free.

Do you work for the Avanti or BBC finance or marketing departments?

 

[TheSel]

Who is 'Scott Mills'?

 

[scragend]

I'm not a fan of this kind of thing at all, but you could possibly understand the Christmas ones that TfL do, because "it's Christmas"

Changing all the signs in a station because someone who used to live "quite near" (probably actually nowhere near) Stockport has started a new job on the radio is just madness. But "no publicity is bad publicity" I suppose.

I wonder if they considered renaming "New Mills Central".

Or maybe New Mills Newtown should have become Scott Mills Newjob.

 

[swt_passenger]

Who is 'Scott Mills'?

Yeah, since when did some BBC employee’s internal job change become headline news?

 

[CardiffKid]

Apparently the Beeb, Ellie Brennan and Kate Bottley have pulled some strings to get all the boards and displays at Stockport station to instead read "Scottport"

Is there any evedence that the BBC instigated this, or that they just went along with it?

As suggested in the opening post, imagine if a load of road signs had this done to them? There'd be hell to pay. I wish operators would pack it in with renaming stations like this.

Cardigan's name change to Jumper 'puts it on the map'

CARDIGAN will continue to be known as ‘Jumper’ to celebrate Save the Children’s annual Christmas Jumper Day right up until Christmas Day.

www.cambrian-news.co.uk

Cardigan, Ceredigion, renamed for Christmas Jumper Day

The town of Cardigan is temporarily renamed "Jumper" to mark Christmas Jumper Day.

www.bbc.co.uk

The town of Cardigan has been temporarily renamed "Jumper" to coincide with Christmas Jumper Day.

Mayor Clive Davies will announce the change on Thursday and Jumper will remain a Ceredigion town until Christmas Day.

Cardigan town council joined forces with charity Save The Children to promote the annual tradition of wearing a Christmas jumper on 16 December.

Schools, businesses and the town's castle have also changed their names.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jan 2025 ==

Who is 'Scott Mills'?

Opening post explains who he is, there's also this wonderful thing called the internet

 

[yorksrob]

a bit of annoying and stupid yet pointlessly harmless fluff

I thought it was for Scott Mills, not Fluff (Freeman) !

 

[Howardh]

There's me thinking it's April 1. If this isn't stopped where will it end?

I fancy changing the signs at Bolton to Dibnah-Almost-By-The-Sea.

After all on the 125 you can see the sea on the way to Horwich.

Think out station's run by Northern so I'll drop them an email.

 

[Deepgreen]

Apparently the Beeb, Ellie Brennan and Kate Bottley have pulled some strings to get all the boards and displays at Stockport station to instead read "Scottport", to promote Scott Mills taking over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

What do people think about this? Personally I find it baffling that navigational aids can be changed out for a joke (there's no mention of advertising income). Can't ever imagine them pulling a stunt like this with road signs, though...

Stockport train station commuters stumped by 'Scottport' rebrand

Stockport station is renamed 'Scottport' to celebrate Scott Mills' BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show debut.

www.bbc.co.uk

Stockport station renamed Scottport to mark Scott Mills’ new radio show

Signage and screens changed for 24 hours to welcome veteran BBC presenter to Radio 2 breakfast show

www.theguardian.com

I detest this - it's a stunt that serves no real purpose and just confuses the unwary. My career was on the Underground, and they have taken to doing this lately, much to the dismay of many employees. Certain things should be sacrosanct, and this is hardly a news item that justifies any major attention anyway. The position of respect held by 'the railway' is steadily being eroded by rubbish like this, which surely leads to more and more behaviour like trespass, vandalism, etc. As many others have pointed out, this just would not be done on the roads, but the railway has been turned over to 'bright young business innovators' who are required to come up with ever more desperate money-making concepts. Whether this particular example is financially-motivated is irrelevant - the precedents were set elsewhere and now more and more of this stuff is considered fair game for less and less important events.

 

[CHAPS2034]

The position of respect held by 'the railway' is steadily being eroded by rubbish like this, which surely leads to more and more behaviour like trespass, vandalism, etc.

As far as the general public is concerned, I'm not sure the railway is held in a position of respect at all, especially after the last few years of industrial disputes and operational disasters like some of the timetable changes.

 

[enginedin]

Who is 'Scott Mills'?

I'm not sure if this is purposeful facetiousness, but not only is he now the presenter of the most listened radio program in the UK, he has presented on the two most listened to national radio stations for more than 25 years, as well as presenting lots of high profile TV. I happen to be culturally unaware of lots of film stuff (much to many of my friends' amusement and/or disbelief), but there are times when even if I wouldn't recognise / name a film a famous actor has been in, at least I'd know of them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jan 2025 ==

Can't ever imagine them pulling a stunt like this with road signs, though...

As suggested in the opening post, imagine if a load of road signs had this done to them? There'd be hell to pay. I wish operators would pack it in with renaming stations like this.

This just would not be done on the roads

Sorry to prove you all wrong (along with @CardiffKid's post), but this has been done with roadsigns:

Bristol road names changed for free sandwich giveaway

The eatery will also be giving away 50 free sandwiches for National Sandwich Day

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[Howardh]

I'm not sure if this is purposeful facetiousness, but not only is he now the presenter of the most listened radio program in the UK, he has presented on the two most listened to national radio stations for more than 25 years, as well as presenting lots of high profile TV. I happen to be culturally unaware of lots of film stuff (much to many of my friends' amusement and/or disbelief), but there are times when even if I wouldn't recognise / name a film a famous actor has been in, at least I'd know of them

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Jan 2025 ==






Sorry to prove you all wrong (along with @CardiffKid's post), but this has been done with roadsigns:

Bristol road names changed for free sandwich giveaway

The eatery will also be giving away 50 free sandwiches for National Sandwich Day

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Yes indeed, who IS Scott Mills? I've never heard of him until now.

 

[enginedin]

Yes indeed, who IS Scott Mills? I've never heard of him until now.

that must have been a pretty big rock you've been living under for the whole of this century to have not even have heard of him

 

[tumbledown]

Is he related to Healey Mills?

 

[Howardh]

that must have been a pretty big rock you've been living under for the whole of this century to have not even have heard of him

Not a clue. Never heard of him until today. Why should I?

Tiesto, Tong, Van Buuren, O'Callaghan, Emery etc all on my playlist.

Mills? Used to have them in Bolton making cotton sheets.

Used to go to school with Mark Radcliffe...dies that help?

 

[Peter0124]

Is he related to Healey Mills?

Hmm I heard Temple Mills depot was named after his uncle

 

[enginedin]

Not a clue. Never heard of him until today. Why should I?

I'd call it general knowledge there are lots of actors, musicians, etc of whose work I have no interest in, but I am aware of them because I have a vague awareness of what's going on in the world \shrug\

 

[MadMac]

There‘s also the strange case of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

“The city changed its name from Hot Springs to Truth or Consequences as the result of a radio show contest. In March 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the NBC Radio quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program on its 10th anniversary from the first town that renamed itself after the show”