Bideford is a small port in north Devon. It was from here that early settlers left for the Americas. As an aside, they disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
Since 1855, it’s been known as the little white town. Why? Because white supremacy or because the buildings are predominantly white? Which is racist anyway these days. And, sure enough…
A place known as the ‘Little White Town’ has agreed to change its welcome signs following complaints that it was racist.
Who has complained? And why were they not told very firmly to take their offence taking and stick it somewhere painful? It is not racist. Only a moron would conclude that it is racist. But kowtowing to offendatrons is the order of the day in 2019.
For more than 150 years Bideford has been known by the tagline due to the large number of white buildings that were recorded in a famous 1855 book about the area.
But in recent years, several residents suggested that its connotations carry a racist undertone and demanded it be scrapped from all signs around the north Devon town.
Those several residents are idiots. The appropriate response is not to enable their behaviour but to vigorously ridicule them for their stupidity and extreme offence-taking. Perhaps the other residents – the majority according to a poll on the matter – should all display signs welcoming people to the Little White Town in protest?
‘Peter Lawrence didn’t want to cause any offence but did wonder where this might lead asking if “Bideford Black” paint should be renamed “Bideford Slightly Dark”?
Perhaps they should. Wouldn’t want to offend anyone…
As long as jelly-spined ‘authorities’ collapse before these fascists, this crap will continue. They’ll be on to the next target now.
It’s a shame because in my experience the people down in that part of Devon are reasonably robust, Must just be the snowflakes in the council offices.
We the locals are furious about this, the town was named that in 1855 by Charles Kingsley in the first chapter of his book Westward Ho!and has nothing to do with race whatsoever. This is part of our history, of which we are proud. It is a description of the houses in the town and along the quay. I think Bideford and North Devon as a whole is the least racist place i have ever lived.
“Only a moron would conclude that it is racist”.
You nailed it. Nuff said!
Of course “Bideford Black” paint shouldn’t be renamed “Bideford Slightly Dark”, that would be stupid.
It should be renamed “Bideford Paint of Colour”.
Ha! Good one.
Bideford of any colour?
Bideford of any colour (except white).
There. Fixed it.
What about Blackburn then, isn’t that racist? I will need the expert advice of a truly woke person on whether it is black people or white people or possibly both who are being discriminated against.
What about Whitehaven then…
What about Redcar then…
And so on ad nauseam.
I remember reading Michael Moorcock’s Jerry Cornelius series of books in the early 70s. I remember that Manchester was renamed Blackmanchester. I thought it was fantasy. Not so sure now.
What about chess where white always moves first? Surely that is oppressive. Maybe both sides should play with pieces of the same colour.
When will these people get picketed?
https://www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/
And what about yellow people? Why are there no yellow houses in Bideford?
I went to school in Bideford. From ‘68 to ‘74. Grenville College, a Woodard Corporation school. Not a particularly happy time for me but the town and surrounding area was a truly pleasant place to be once outside of the college premises.
That this sort of utter imbecilic thinking should now prevail in a quiet, innocuous west country town makes me glad that I have left the U.K. behind for ever…