In Britain, we sure love Cock - for a place name, that is. In fact, many well-known areas of Britain include 'Cock' as part of their name. Several theories exist for this. 'Cock' may come from the old English 'cocc', meaning 'the little', which would explain why small rural areas are often blessed with this name. Or, it could simply be a reference to male birds. For Tickle Cock Bridge, however... Let's just say it is likely to be intentionally crude. It is apparently so named due to its notoriety many years ago as a, um, 'meeting spot' for courting couples. No cutesy coffee dates here... The claustrophobic, run-down bridge, as pictured above, was given a makeover in 2008 to become a more pleasant walkway for locals; but with this shiny new lick of paint came a brand new name. After the bridge's regeneration, it's title was changed to the far less eyebrow-raising 'Tittle Cott.' Boring! And indeed, a group of outraged locals were having absolutely none of it. They began a campaign to get the old bridge's name back, claiming they were 'offended' by the change to Tittle Cott, believing it erased the 'character and history' of Tickle Cock Bridge. They fought hard and won; the bridge got to keep its naughty name, and subsequently, its place in the lengthy directory of Britain's most rude 'n' crude areas.
Stephanie is a writer and free spirit who likes to pretend she's a Londoner, though strictly speaking she's from Watford. She likes books, music, elephants, and hairspray.
