Does anyone think this gentle protest is a little too strong or justified?
Dear Sir,
As someone who was actually born in Staines almost 57 years ago - May 21 1955 - when it was a part of the proud country of Middlesex, I think the idea to change the name of the town is both ridiculous and ill advised. If the towns of Windsor and Reading are quite happy with their respective names, rather than suddenly becoming Windsor-Upon-Thames or Reading-Upon-Thames then why should Staines be any different?
The person who came up with this barmy idea obviously has no grasp ot the amount of taxpayers money it will take to implement this change. It is far from being a simple matter of changing a few "Welcome to Staines" roadsigns to "Welcome to Staines-Upon-Thames" roadsigns. There is also the enormous waste of dumping official stationery emblazoned with the current name and spending money on brand new stationery. Elaborate (expensive) signs on public buildings will be changed. What about the expense to private businesses who will need to change both stationery and signage on vehicles to reflect this totally unnecessary change?
Is this the work of some public servant approaching retirement, feeling disappointed and disheartened by his lackluster career in public service; and consequently feeling the need to bow out with a bang? Someone, feeling afraid of being totally forgotten and desperately wanting to be remembered for something, albeit the biggest waste of public money since an egotistical London mayor decided to dispense with articulated buses that had served London well and still had a decade or more of service left in them.
Why do these bureaucrats on salaries that the average person can only dream of constantly feel the urge to spend money that doesn't actually belong to them. It is money forced out of ordinary people to pay for public services - which are continually being cut - and not for silly harebrained schemes like this.
Exactly how will a change of name to Staines-Upon-Thames actually benefit the ordinary citizens of Staines and the surrounding areas? Will they consider it money well spent? Of course they won't. Will they want to congratulate the person responsible for coming up with the idea? Of course not, most decent mature intelligent people will feel like lynching the person responsible for such needless waste of scarce resources.
Was the public consulted? Of course not. Why should they be, they are only the pawns paying for this foolishness' and nobody cares about them. Well known fact.
I hope common sense can prevail and this ridiculous idea can be quietly dropped before it is too late. Everyone makes mistakes and errors of judgment, but someone has dropped an almighty clanger here, most likely to make themselves feel important and valuable.
I am thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing.
