Penny Lane slaves over name
Monday, July 10, 2006

Penny Lane ' the street immortalised by The Beatles ' could be renamed in a drive to wipe out reminders of the slave trade.

The road, where Paul McCartney told of a barber with a photograph of every customer and a banker with a motor car, is one of seven in Liverpool earmarked for change by councillors.

It is named after 18th-century merchant James Penny, who was once presented with a silver ornament for speaking in favour of the slave trade to a parliamentary committee.

The proposal comes 14 months after Strawberry Field, the children's home which also inspired a Lennon song was closed. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever were on a double A-side which reached No.2 in 1967.

The city council will decide whether to press ahead with the name change this week. Councillor Barbara Mace wants the roads to be named after people who fought against enslavement rather than those that profited from it.

She said: 'It has never been my suggestion that every street be renamed but some streets are named after slave traders who were deeply involved in this awful activity.'

But Beatles expert Phil Coppell said the plan would be a blow to fans.

'These plans are ridiculous', he added. 'Penny Lane has become synonymous with the Beatles and is part of Liverpool's and the UK's music heritage.'

The song Penny Lane was hailed by Beatles producer George Martin as the band's best-ever tune.

Story here: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=17246&in_page_id=2  

Remember to add YOUR comments!!

Renaming would be a foolish thing to do... By the way, I guess a lot of people (including maybe even Paul McCartney) did not know who Penny Lane was named after.

I think it would be insane to change the name. I mean, as big as the Beatles are, most people probably only associate with them. It's enough already with the political correctness.

what are they going to name it martin luther king jr boulevard???
here in america i bet we have a millions roads named that.....i agree enough is enough...
changing a roads name will not change HISTORY....

Just heard, Liverpool council have finally got their own way and WILL rename Penny Lane in order to remove all trace of James Penny - a pro-slavery activist.

To avoid any offence in future, Penny Lane will now be known as Hitler Street.

Just kidding folks!!!

you've got a talent there adam....

Quoted from adamzero

  Obviously, there's nothing funny about slavery.

Please don't say things like that. I found this side - splitter from 5th Century BC Greece:   An intellectual got a slave pregnant. At the birth, his father suggested that the child be killed. The intellectual replied: "First murder your own children and then tell me to kill mine."
Whey - hey. They knew how to have a laugh those Greeks.

And another : "What happened when the slave put his head into a lions mouth to count how many teeth he had?

The lion closed its mouth to see how many heads the slave had!"

Romans this time. They kill me.

Quoted from pc31

what are they going to name it martin luther king jr boulevard???
here in america i bet we have a millions roads named that.....i agree enough is enough...
changing a roads name will not change HISTORY....

Yep. It's so White people know where not to go. Political correctness has gotten way out of hand, is impossible, and I can't believe the lengths that it has gone to. From a historical perspective, when you mention 'Penny Lane' to someone, it's not likely that the first thing they think of is a slave trader--so let it go. Patrick Henry who said "Give me liberty or give me death'' owned 65 slaves, and there's probably statues of him all over the U.S. as well.

Luckily in the UK this is not seen as a black-white thing, more of a country facing up to the more uncomfortable aspects of its past.  The push for these name changes came from local politicians (Lib Dems mostly, famed for their middle-class woolly headedness) not ethnic groups.
Not many Brits feel  threatened by a few street name changes. (they're a very tolerant lot bless 'em) .If it wasn't for The Beatles thing most people couldn't give a damn.
We'll all be pleased to know the name isn't changing.

I don't think this will end until the Beatles acknowledge their hidden debt to the slave trade.

Kevin, I'm kidding.  (But a PC-language police person might have trouble with your reference to middle class "woolly headedness.")

Don't get mad, that was a joke too.

Quoted from adamzero

I don't think this will end until the Beatles acknowledge their hidden debt to the slave trade.

Kevin, I'm kidding.  (But a PC-language police person might have trouble with your reference to middle class "woolly headedness.")

Don't get mad, that was a joke too.

Hi AZ. I never get mad.(it means I haven't thought something through) I'll happily replace "woolly headedness with "vague and non-commited ."