A letter arrived today from one of my former neighbours in Dibley telling me that the houses where the old church stood are now complete and the first of them are occupied. There was much speculation as to the name that might be given to the new cul-de-sac formed for seven of the nine properties (two fronted onto the existing street). Among others, the hot favourite/anti-favourite was 'Henry Dennis Way' suggested independently by several Dibley Baptists and dreaded by others. I secretly hoped for either 'Chapel Close' or 'Baptist Close'. In the end it has been named 'Old Church Close', which, even if it is slightly awry in detail*, I think is rather fitting. DBC is an old church - dating back to at least 1749 - and it is still close by, meeting within 400 yards of the site and with its graveyard just across the fields.
I hope the folk who live in Old Church Close will be happy, that their views over the fields will give them as much joy as they gave me, and that they will come to love the crazy world of Dibley with all its idiosyncracies and irritations!
*I'm not sure about Scotland yet, but in England and Wales protestant nonconformist church buildings are traditionally called chapels; it's a shame the local council didn't reflect this in their naming, but at least they recognised the symbolism.
Comments
In Scotland the only chapels belong to catholics, or at least that's how it was where I come from!
Hi Elaine, that would make sense - and probably stems from the equivalent logic of calling yourself something that the state (or state-ish) church is not. I think the English-origin nonconformists arrived a bit later in Scotland by which time such distinctions may have been less important, and the C of S had enough fun and games of its own anyway.
I suspect the building control section at NWLDC wouldn't know the difference between a church and a chapel if you hit them over the head with one (though that would be unfriendly and I know you wouldn't).
I'm sure I used to drive past a road serving some retirement bungalows called 'St Peter's Close'. It always made me chuckle.
It'd be tempting though wouldn't it?!
Where I grew up, our local council built some retrirement bungalows actually looking out over the cemertry!! Good job they didn't have to come up with a new street name or the mind boggleth.