Hull's bid to become UK City of Culture in 2013 has been kicked into touch. Maybe I should add a "Dog Bites Man" tag to this piece of news, as it was predictable, a very safe bet. Most of the people I know wouldn't be aware of either the bid or the object of the bid. "City of Culture", what the hell is that? Well is not about culture, that's for certain. It's about making money, attracting the refined pound. None of the loot would trickle down to the hoi polloi, though no doubt there would be a big bill at the end of it all which would be settled on the council taxpayers of the city. That's how these things work.
Meanwhile, in the comments section of the local paper, the bigots are at work. 'Chavs', single mothers, fat people, immigrants, illiterate kids; this, in their narrow little minds is the composition of the inhabitants of Hull. That's why we never win anything. I think these keyboard whingers need a label. Everyone who uses the word 'chav' becomes in my book a ptochophobe (neologism, copyright me). One thing is certain, judging by their written comments they'll never be able to spell that. Is there a correlation between bigotry and bad spelling? Perhaps some research could be undertaken.

One particular fanatic is dedicating his labours to convincing us ignorant Hull folks that one of the remaining competitors is called 'Londonderry', not 'Derry'. I seem to recall that the city became Derry officially after its administration was wrested from the grasp of a gerrymandering minority - but really, who cares? The employees of the BBC have clearly been ordered always to use 'Londonderry'. 'Derry' like 'EXTREME right' and 'Loyalist terrorist' is one of those taboo terms. That's the main reason I prefer 'Derry'.
The city was founded by immigrants who named it for London. It was later burnt down by the MacDevitts who became known thereafter as 'Burnderries' to Ulster protestants. These last still sing of guarding DERRY's walls. And they used to insist on foreigners calling the city Londonderry while they called it Derry.
Similarly, we have to suffer fools who want us to give our town its full due and call it Kingston upon Hull, when everybody prefers Hull.