I like placenames, and I particularly like knowing why somewhere is named how it is named. I like that Argentina is named after silver, that Pakistan is an acronym and that Elephant & Castle has lots of stories to its name.
So I was excited to discover that the London 2012 Olympic Park Legacy Company have launched a competition to name the five Olympic neighbourhoods which remain once the games have ended.
They are inviting the public to suggesting names for the five new neighbourhoods in Tower Hamlets, Hackey and Newham. You can enter until May 18.
My suggestions were:
- Neighbourhood 1: Previously, this are was used for potting sheds; during the Olympics this will be the site of the basketball arena. I went for Hoopshed.
- Neighbourhood 2: Previously, White Post Lane ran through here; during the Olympics it will be the Media and Broadcast Centre. I chose Broadpost.
- Neighbourhood 3: Previously, this area housed confectionery factories and timber yards. After the Olympics, it'll have lots of leisure facilities. I decided on Sweetwood.
- Neighbourhood 4: This is the site of the Olympic arenas. And as Temple signifies the site of a temple, and Bank is where the banks are, I thought Arena should be where the arenas were.
- Neighbourhood 5: An area which will be mainly residential, bordered and crossed by canals and the Bow Back River, I chose Bow Waters as the name.
What do you think? Are you entering? What are your suggestions?