1 FEBRUARY 1957, Page 16

SIR,—I am surprised that Mr. Betjeman in his fantasy on

'place-name people' of January 25 con- fines himself to men; there is an equally entertaining set of women to be found. Sible Hedingham (Essex) and Greta Bridge (Yorks) arc an inseparable pair of pre-Raphaelite damsels. Maida Vale (London) is a barmaid with a heart of gold whose customers make puns about her name. Lamorna Cove (Corn- wall) is a retired Gaiety Girl whose forthcoming memoirs will cause a series of scandals in aristocratic homes. Two American characters are Miss Abbey Dore (Herefordshire), a hard-boiled columnist, who covered every campaign in Hitler's war and published a book on each, while Redruth (Cornwall) is a gangster's moll. Countess Weir (Devon) appears regularly on all the television panel games.

May I suggest a competition asking entrants to people a book for children with place names like Wigwig (Salop) and Mamblc (Worcs)?—Yours faith-- ful I y, 35 Birches Barn Road, Wolverhampton MICHAEL RIX PS.—The map reveals a number of less legitimate ladies, such as the Sham sisters Eve (Worcs) and Harriet (Kent), daughters of a long-suffering York- shire ma.

Pn.—Stanley Pontlarge is in Gloucestershire, not Worcestershire.