Reader makes capital case over Wolverhampton sign
Friday 20th May 2011, 11:40AM BST.
A missing capital letter on Wolverhampton’s new £22.5 million bus station was today branded as evidence of the decline of the English language.
The sign for the new station under construction in Pipers Row says “wolverhampton bus station”, all in lower case letters.
Transport authority Centro said the logo was designed with modern styles in mind similar to many other designs, which soften their image by ditching capital letters.
But Express & Star reader David Steele, aged 63, contacted the newspaper to object, claiming it was not a “proud advertisement” for the city.
His comments were backed today by the deputy mayor of Wolverhampton Councillor Paddy Bradley, who has championed the bus station project ever since she was in charge of the city’s regeneration.
But she said: “I do think that using all lower case letters is evidence of the erosion of our language and I don’t think we should be travelling that road in Wolverhampton.”
Mark Langford, spokesman for transport authority Centro, said: “It was felt that the lettering above the entrance, in this instance, looked better in lower case and it is being used as a logo rather than an educational tool.”
To read our stories in full, log in to the premium 24 website.
Most Commented
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
What is the point of the sign anyway? By the time people reach this white elephant they must surely know which City they are in.
Perhaps it should read: “bus station” or perhaps more grammatically correct: “omnibus terminus”
I can think of a number of other suitable labels….
white elephant, waste of money, pointless place, cheap and nasty, two bridge folly….
I wonder if anyone else can contribute a suitable label for the place.
Report abuse
The previous Bus Station and the nearby Railway Station were once described as a Radial Transit Termini.
Whatever you call it I agree it’s over priced the money would have been better spent if used to improve Bus Services instead.
Report abuse
I love this faux pas. WOLVERHAMPTON. Not Wolverampton!
Jeez!
Report abuse
Wolverampton or Wolverhampton??
Report abuse
Our troops are fighting terrorism in Afghanistan, the world is plagued by tsunamis and earthquakes! Millions face massive financial hardship in a worldwide recession and we are worried about a capital letter!!!! Get a grip people!
Report abuse
I don’t care if there is a capital w or not just as long the bus station gets finished!
Report abuse
just typical people finding another excuse to have a moan.
Report abuse
I love the comments here, good old fashioned moaning….
Report abuse
another excuse to have a moan and a complain
Report abuse
It looks terrible – it doesn’t highlight the importance of Wolverhampton at all. In fact, it implies that it is an inferior city!
Report abuse
I don’t see why people are moaning about this I think it looks great. Its modern and I think if it had capitals it would have made it look horrible. You don’t need capitals for every think!
It’s Modern!
Report abuse
Agreed.
However, in relation to the grammatical thread of this story, it is “everything” and not “every think”.
Report abuse
Nat, I agree, you don’t need capitals for everything but you do need one for the start of a City.
Report abuse
9 – Nat
A true authority on grammar and spelling!
Report abuse
Guys, take another look at the picture!
I am more concerned that the man is installing the “n” at the beginning of wolverhamton rather than at the end!
He says tongue in cheek.
Report abuse
Dear Older People,
It looks very nice. Don’t worry.
Report abuse
“You don’t need capitals for every think!”
This last sentence speaks volumes.
Report abuse
Also people coming in the city won’t judge us by if we have a capital letter or not. Just people wanting to moan!
Report abuse
Within weeks of opening the whole place will be covered in graffiti, smashed up and full of drunks, druggies and muggers. A capital letter will be the least of people problems!
Report abuse
its actually a conventional design approach to use lower case lettering – not a devaluation of the english language. of course you won’t get the council to see that – what a bunch of self haters this country is becoming.
Report abuse
Cant understand why so much money is spent on a bus station just for people to catch buses,
yet kids are crying out for apprenticeship courses to help them get to work. we live in to much of a look good soceity, same as the hospitals, spend it making it look good forget the patient care and treatments!!!!
ANGRY TAX PAYER!
Report abuse
This is staggering. I didn’t think that there were so many thickies in Wolverhampton. It’s not rocket science, it’s the English language and that says that there should be a capital letter at the start of a name. People who say that it does not matter are either uneducated or sad and Centro should be ashamed of themselves.
Report abuse
It bothers me that MARKS & SPENCER use only capital letters. It’s the English language and that says that there should be….etc etc.
The people of MARKS & SPENCER should be ashamed of themselves.
And don’t get me started on HMV – that’s not even a proper word. Pffft.
Report abuse
another nothing story from express and star. 63 year old david steele, with nothing more usefull to do with his time reported the above incident.
some people eh? you just could’nt make it up. proud wulfrunian.
Report abuse
Is the lack of capital letters in your post supposed to be ironic?
Report abuse
If all that david steele (sorry, missed the capitals) is worried about is a missing capital letter then he must have too much time on his hands. As long as we are not taking school children on educational field trips there for their English lessons then I think we can forgive the planners/architects!! Lets just get the mess finished and the bus station open, so we all know where we should be catching the bus from and not having to trek half way round the city!!!
Report abuse
So what, looks better than what was there before. The reader in question… aged 63. Sums it up. Andy (51)
Report abuse
Never mind the capital letter…it’s the £22.5 million spent on a bus station that’s the problem!
Report abuse
I think there is a case for bringing back capital punishment.
Report abuse
It’s amazing that the council got the spelling of Wolverhampton correct in the first place !
Report abuse
I find it rather ironic that the people who are disclaiming the “logo” as being grammatically incorrect obviously haven’t cheked the dictionary for the definition of “logo” – (courtesy of dictionary.com) “a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition.” – As a City that prides itself as being one of the friendliest this logo correctly represents the heart of who we are – lets just enjoy the thing being almost ready for use shall we?
Report abuse
It’s missing an ‘n’ as well.
No wonder the country’s on its knees etc.
Report abuse
I bet his letter of complaint was written entirely in capital letters.
Report abuse
Isn’t the point if the lack of title case is intentional then it’s not poor grammer but a matter of artistic license? So yet again another non-story from the E&S!
Report abuse
It’s just a sign. Furthermore it was lowercase in the plans which have been out for over a year now.
“Two bridge folley” – my understanding was the former bridge is to be used to take the Metro into the Train Station – a fantastic addition if it gets done.
The bus station looks fantastic and nobody can deny it is a much better first glance for travelers to get than what was there previously. And opening straight out onto a main road, rather than a side street in the city, is a great idea.
Report abuse
The original bridge also has to carry motor traffic and has footpaths either side leaving ample space for trams to pass.
Two bridge folly it remains.
Report abuse
Paddy should take a closer look at the grammatical nonsense on the Council’s website. It is full of titles in lower case, starting with the chief executive instead of Chief Executive, but Chief executive when beginning a sentence. dO As yOU WOULD bE dONE bY …..
Report abuse
Shame there isnt more new building .Wolverhampton is a eye sore time to knock the other buildings down and start again
Report abuse
Who cares if the sign has a capital letter or not. People visiting Wolverhampton will want to leave as soon as they see what a complete dump the city is anyway.
Report abuse
Perhaps we should start using both upper and lower case letters when writing an e-mail address. That should satisfy the grammar police such as Dr What (see above)
Report abuse
Well, this station is a farce. As a PCV driver, the way the buses have been messed with whilst this wonderful bus station has been built is a disgrace.
What I want to know, is how the bus station will work, from a drivers point of view, the layout stinks, theres nowhere for buses to park so the drivers can have “comfort” breaks, and yes the old bus station needed making safer i agree, but surely the authority should have consulted drivers, and passengers alike. So forget the lower case sign, lets concentrate on the waste of money on a lame duck.
Report abuse
Did anyone moan when they opened the new Digbeth Coach station in Birmingham which has the sign
BIRMINGHAM COACH STATION
whats the difference to writing it all in block capitals or in all lower case?
wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
WOLVERHAMPTON
Report abuse
The lack of pedagogy and erudition in learning has let to a solecism which teachers find rambunctious and difficult to deracinate.
Grammar and syntax have evanesced as students have abjured the discernment of correct accidence.
Hence the “w” in Wolverhampton
Report abuse
I can think of something else beginning with W to describe the design of this bus station!
Report abuse
I walked past and saw this the other day. I think it looks like a major mistake rather than fitting into modern styles. I am a teenager and this just looks stupid to me, not modern.
Report abuse
They should clean up the buses before cleaning up their grammer
Report abuse
The ‘r’ looks a bit wobbly and the bottom of the ‘p’ seems to be missing. The letters should be a bit closer together. I suppose we’ll get used to it.
Report abuse
9Nat
for every think!
Amazing grammar don’t you think
Report abuse