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Railway chiefs say Sir Sean is way off track



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Published Date: 23 August 2008
NETWORK Rail has hit back at Sir Sean Connery's "outrage" at the prefix Edinburgh being added to Waverley Station.
Sir Sean blasted the "bureauprats" who renamed the station in his eagerly-awaited memoirs, entitled Being A Scot.

However, the station owners said the name of the station was first changed in 1947 when the railways were nationalised to standardise how major stations were identified.

They also said although the name may be widely known to people living in Edinburgh and Scotland, visitors travelling to the Capital would not necessarily know that Waverley Station is in Edinburgh.

In one of his many attacks on the state of modern Edinburgh and how the city is run, Sir Sean said he was "outraged" to see the extended name on station signs.

But a Network Rail spokesman said: "The name of the station was amended to Edinburgh Waverley in 1947 when the railway industry was nationalised."



The full article contains 161 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 23 August 2008 10:17 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Sean Connery
 
1

Andrew,

23/08/2008 12:31:50
Imagine every station suffixed Central was just named "Central"! "A return to Central please" - but which one? (there being Coatbridge, Dumbarton, Glasgow, Greenock, Hamilton and Helensburgh to name but six in Scotland)!
2

Joe,

Fountainbridge 23/08/2008 13:02:11
Connery doesn't live here, pay taxes, what right has he to comment?
3

Spiderdog,

Sunny Leith 23/08/2008 15:21:48
Why is it that everytime the EEN quotes Big Tam, there's always some muppet who pipes up with the same old "He doesn't live here or pay taxes" war-cry?

Why on earth would he be expected to pay taxes when he doesn't live here?

4

Tobytoo,

Southington, U.S.A. 23/08/2008 18:03:49
#3
In answer to your last line I would have to ask why
is he complaining about the place so much if he doesn't live there.
5

Andrew,

23/08/2008 19:41:07
Scorn Shammery?!? Stay in Scotland or BUTT OUT!
6

ex-resident,

selby 23/08/2008 21:06:50
Spiderdog: have you asked yourself WHY Connery chooses not to live in the country he professes to feel so much for?

Before you say anything, my relocation was determined by where I could find a job. Connery has a choice.
7

The Daleks,

Longmen 24/08/2008 06:25:26
Lay off Sir Sean.

He has every right to pass comment on the land of his birth, regardless of where he chooses to lay his hat these days, and he's done a damn sight more for the country than all of his detractors put together.
8

Ian down under,

Kawerau 25/08/2008 04:07:48
Shorry Shir Tam but did you know that Waverley is an English name. When Walter Shcott wrote his Waverley novels they were named after a shtately home in Shurrey.
In case he is really worried about London stations only being referred to by the suffix then he just needs to visit them to see the signs on the plaforms say London Euston, London King's Cross etc.
9

Ian down under,

Kawerau 25/08/2008 04:09:11
Mind you Edinburgh International Airport by his logic should simply be The International Airport.
10

sar,

edinburgh 25/08/2008 12:41:14
#9 Turnhouse
11

Sas,

Edinburgh 26/08/2008 23:17:20
#9 and #10 Or Sir Sean "I love Edinburgh so much I live in Spain, support Celtic, I mean Rangers and don't think Edinburgh's main railway station should have the word Edinburgh in it" Connery Airport.
12

The Corp,

Carlisle 27/08/2008 08:20:08
Welcome to the Victor Meldrew club Sean
13

aurorablue,

27/08/2008 12:30:12
Sean is obviously desperate for the publicity, even bad - what a sad, lonely old man!
14

AMH,

Edinburgh 01/09/2008 17:32:31
So how outraged will Sir Sean be when finds out that a few years there was a plan to drop the name Waverley, on the grounds that it was no longer needed to differentiate it from Edinburgh (Princes Street) station. Since that is now closed the thinking was we only need an Edinburgh station.
15

Spudeit,

Edinburgh 14/09/2008 15:53:01
Sir Sean is correct and Network Rail Chiefs are off track I'm afraid. I have the photographic evidence to prove it. Firstly a postcard from 1911 showing 4 Large signs at the carriage ramps on the Waverley Bridge that read "North British Railway WAVERLEY STATION". I also have a photograph of my mother standing in front of the carriage ramp taken in 1958 (ten years after NR say the name changed) and the large sign reads "British Railways WAVERLEY STATION".
I can also confirm that I worked at the station in BR days between 1980-1985 and I remember the sign on Market Street read "WAVERLEY STATION" (38 years after NR say the name changed) but the photographic evidence is fundemental and as Sir Sean says the prefix EDINBURGH has been added probably after Privatisation in 1994.

 

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