Origin of the words 'Naborhood Centre'

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 8 Mar 2008 00:16

Can anyone explain in detail the origin of the signage spelling of Sydenham's 'Naborhood Centre?' My colleagues in the (Simplified) Spelling Society say that the spelling 'Naborhood' is as in the Society's own 'House Stile,' when I had thought it West Indian or something. Cllr Best thinks it comes from a former cinema on the site, the 'Naborhood' (she says 'nabberhood') in the 20s Art Deco period, and says Amercan rather than black, while Jim Dowd MP says he thinks it Canadian.

marymck · Post by **marymck** » 8 Mar 2008 11:08

Good question. I've wondered about this too. I'd always vaguely thought that it was probably someone's name - maybe someone who'd given a donation - but, beyond finding it rather annoying, I never thought seriously enough about it to try to find out. Now I'm really intrigued.

"Neighbour" is Old English. It would be a real shame if "Naborhood" turned out to be just some corruption of a perfectly decent word.

Another gritted teeth moment for me is the correctly descriptive "Sydenham Hill Road" being renamed as the meaningless "Kirkdale" in 1936.

If this was done, as claimed, to save confusing people then it doesn't seem to have worked. The bottom of our drive is constantly used by people checking their A-Zs and then turning their cars round because they've headed straight up the hill to the upper part of Kirkdale when then should have turned right onto the Dartmouth Road at the mini roundabout.

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 8 Mar 2008 13:47

As someone who believes in simplified spelling, I not only rather like the sign, but consider it a very rare historical example of it, even tho the history may have involved some other intention. And this as someone who doesn't even like 'House Stile' (it would come out as 'Neib6hud' in my preferred orthography). Simplified spelling is not 'corruption,' but a prudent and environmentally friendly use of limited public resources.

Steve Grindlay · Post by **Steve Grindlay** » 9 Mar 2008 19:17

This came up several months ago <here> .

From that thread, this is still the best explanation I can come up with:

I've spoken to a friend who knows about Lewisham cinemas, and it seems that "Naborhood Cinema" was actually a generic name given by a small company (Monk's Circuit Cinemas) to a group of cinemas that they acquired, probably in the late 1930s. The Naborhood Cinema, Queens Road, Peckham (demolished 1941) was part of this group.

The choice of spelling was probably because the parent company felt, given Hollywood's influence on film at the time, it sounded more 'modern'.

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 9 Mar 2008 20:17

Thanks, Steve - Jim Dowd MP recommended you as a relevant local historian (Chris Best recommended a John Coulter, I think), which initially raised the further question of 'where do you find a local historian when you need one?' (an accidental rubbing of my monitor must have done the trick, in this instance!

).
I don't suppose I'll ever get a conclusive answer to the question of how local people actually pronounce 'Naborhood Centre.' As stated above, I actually thought that there was something black about the original spelling, simply because black culture is often more obviously innovative, linguistically. But consider also that in the early part of the twentieth century, spelling reform was a hot, hot issue, attracting big names like George Bernard Shaw, H.G.Wells, Andrew Carnegie, Melville Dewey and Theodore Roosevelt. But global warfare appears to have distracted us from our best-laid schemes and plans, while taking the lives of many of our most innovative and outstanding citizens, such that, in many ways, we have gone backwards, as a society, not forwards.
I am inclined to pronounce it 'Neighbourhood Centre,' but if my tyrannical older brethren in the (Simplified) Spelling Society are ever raand aa way, I might just go with Cllr Best and say 'Nabber-.'

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/3at/

ALIB · Post by **ALIB** » 9 Mar 2008 21:15

Hence the obvious phrases,...

"I is come from da 'hood."

"I is a hoodie"

Just drop the 'Nabor'
Problem solved

Alib

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 9 Mar 2008 22:18

I was thinking, would 'hoodnabber' be a good term for a police or security goon? In this borough (Bromley) we call em (well, the fuzz) 'gavvers,' but I always think it sounds a tad nefarious, &, you know what they say, 'give a dog a bad name...'

marymck · Post by **marymck** » 11 Mar 2008 12:36

How on Earth is "Neib6hud" a "simplified spelling" or "a prudent and environmentally friendly use of limited public resources".

It's certainly not been very environmentally friendly in my household, where the suggestion caused my blood pressure to rise alarmingly.

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 11 Mar 2008 13:55

Dear Mary,

Have you considered practising yoga? I have heard that it's very good for things like blood pressure.
'Neib6hud' is Qixpel for 'neighbourhood.' The '6' is easy to remember because it's both pointing up, as well as being the vowel-sound in 'up.'
Regarding public resources, a scheme like Qixpel could save a fortune in signage.
Less expenditure on signage, more money for yoga!

marymck · Post by **marymck** » 11 Mar 2008 16:07

I have a feeling I'm being had! Getting some training in for April 1st? It wouldn't be the first time I've been had. I was suckered into an online debate about a planned "Street Art" aka Graffiti festival in the neighbourhood a few years ago. That proved to be a hoax. But only after I dug out my aged Laura Ashley stencils to decorate the cars of the "artists".

It's very interesting about the cinema. My uncle told me there was once a cinema in either Silverdale or one of the Thorpes. I wonder if that's true and if so if it was there at the same time as the Naborhood Cinema?

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 11 Mar 2008 22:34

I am the Brian Sewell of graffiti, and tho I am occasionally sufficiently amused by local examples of the genre to make a photographic record (thus resulting in an art form both risqué and legal) the vast majority of it doesn't seem to meet the standard required for sustained exhibition. It is also disappointing, of course, to see the failure of local graffitists to embrace things like simplified spelling and political insight, things which might give their art a little more direction, purpose and credibility, both in the underworld and beyond. As with the tattoists' trade, too little attention is paid to the possibilities of the more temporary materials, and the careful matching of artistic merit with materials of the appropriate longevity.
You would have to tell us whether you're being 'had,' and as far as cinemas are concerned, I don't really like talking about that when I haven't got a girlfriend.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 5 Nov 2009 18:52

I'm just *bumping* this one as the thrust of the debate actually made me chortle.

Especially the poster marymck's train of thought. Rail against graffiti by stencilling the offender's cars with Laura Ashley prints. Wonderful. This is the stuff Radio4 was built on. Excellent.

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 5 Nov 2009 19:55

I felt that the 'stencilling' thing totally backfired, implying, as it seems to, a lack of real personal confidence in the two-dimensional medium to which superior knowledge was being implied. I think most connoisseurs would mark graffiti higher.
It looks to me like moderation has interfered with this thread and deleted posts within it, making it incomprehensible in at least one place.

Ulysses · Post by **Ulysses** » 5 Nov 2009 20:12

I see Londheart.

I hadn't appreciated that moderation would have corrupted the natural train of posts. I was merely chuckling at the radio4-esque, to-and-fro/thrust of debate between you both*

*There was a Radio4 program, broadcast about 2 months ago which followed a blog. The gist of it was that someone had lost an allenkey set after a bird had spirited off with it. This person worked in a garage. Someone found an allenkey set whilst clearing out nests from his orchard. The ensuing debate covered meeting to proffer said allenkeys in the fortnightly Lowestoft farmers market.

If I could find the podcast it'd make more sense.

No offence but that is what I saw this exchange as.

As for graffiti, I agree. The Romans had it about right. Pseudo political rhetoric and funny to boot. Not just in a Life Of Brian sense.

Post by **admin** » 5 Nov 2009 23:10

londheart wrote:It looks to me like moderation has interfered with this thread and deleted poosts within it, making it incomprehensible in at least one place.

This thread has not been moderated. All moderations are noted in the relevant thread or in Town Asylum as appropriate. Thankfully a rare event for all concerned.

Admin

londheart · Post by **londheart** » 5 Nov 2009 23:32

Begging your pardon - you're right. I thought Mary's first reply was replying to something that was not there, but my eyes missed that it was still there - my second post. It's a while since I've been here, and a surprise to see simplified spelling anywhere outside of simplified spelling forums. Probably quite emotional, if truth be told - spelling reform buffs spend our days in global virtual chat amongst ourselves, which doesn't normally migrate to 'normal' local forums.
Also, I'm probably a tad paranoid about local forums, having, for instance, applied to join 'Virtual Norwood' & then not heard anything (unless I'm mistaken again). I was told that Virtual Norwood had had an online poll proving that the Crystal Palace Park protesters were a minority - but as I say, when I applied to participate, that's what seemed to happen - nothing back.

Post by **admin** » 6 Nov 2009 00:00

londheart wrote: I'm probably a tad paranoid about local forums

The criticism here is mostly we don't moderate enough. So enjoy!

Admin

regoneil · Post by **regoneil** » 6 Nov 2009 12:09

I have just read all the threads on this subject and it would seem that Steve Grindlay has given the correct answer to the question. I would suggest that the word was imported from the USA as, I believe they name their local cinemas, or did, with that handle.
Yes, I spent many a Saturday afternoon in the Queens Hall watching films for kids in what we calleds the "threepenny rush";
We got kicked out one afternoon when an over enthusiastic lad fired an airgun at the villain and left a dent in the screen.
Oh happy days in the "Fleapit.

Trawlerman · Post by **Trawlerman** » 8 Nov 2009 17:18

I remember 'Saturday Morning Pictures' in the 60s as a kid. Hated it. Full of screaming kids. Couldn't hear a thing on the screen.

Waste of time.
Returned with relief to kicking a ball about with mates.

marymck · Post by **marymck** » 17 Dec 2010 16:21

My mum used to go to a cinema known as "The Bug Hutch" ... what a great name!

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