Talk:Totnes

Untitled
Are there no Totnesians out there? --SqueakBox 20:47, Apr 21, 2005 (UTC)
 * Who me? Totnesmartin 11:40, 7 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Well there's me  -- Herby talk thyme 12:13, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Well there sure weren't when i wrote that but now there are. Great! SqueakBox 15:04, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Charles Babbage?
Wasn't Charles Babbage born/lived/died here or something? jmd 02:27, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

It is my understanding that he had a family connection with Totnes. Was not born in Totnes but spent part of his childhood and early education in the town. Perhaps someone could find some reliable sources to back this up? --Theendlessdream 12:58, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Pronounciation of totnes
I'm not sure I agree that the first syllable in Totnes is emphasised. I've lived there all my life and only remember hearing the second syllable stressed. Anyone agree / disagree?


 * Its kind of like the traditional thick South west accent is to pronounce it on the first syllable but standard English pronunciation (more like a middle-class accent) does indeed stress the second syllable, so agreed, SqueakBox 13:21, 6 April 2006 (UTC)


 * I don't think standard English would stress the second syllable. I just spent some time looking at a map of England and I can't find any two syllable towns which stress the second syllable. Try it: SwinDON, BrisTOL - I don't think so. Also, I don't think anybody says TotNESS. It's either TOTnes (more like TOTnus) or else as two separate words - TOT NESS, which is obviously wrong. Bob Mann insists that TOTn's is the way locals say it and TotNESS is the mark of the outsider. But I will carry out a survey in the Red Wizard on Saturday and see what turns up. Doctor K

The 'nes' in Totnes is 'ness', a headland. Try Inverness or Skegness, not so much an emphasis as even, it is the noun part, where 'Tot' a person's name - Totta - is the posessive part. So: "Totta's Ness".Thelisteninghand (talk) 19:57, 22 November 2020 (UTC)


 * You should have looked nearer to Totnes - Torquay has the stress on the second syllable. --Safalra 13:54, 11 September 2006 (UTC)


 * Bob Mann. Where have I heard that name? Red Wizard? That sounds new. Bob Mann is right, IMO, re pronunciation though I have always disliked this local/outsider dichototmy, SqueakBox 14:53, 20 April 2006 (UTC)


 * if anyone is in the red wizard around 2 on saturday would be interested in chatting about Totnes. (free coffee) theredwizard


 * Not me I live 5000 miles away in Honduras, SqueakBox 23:48, 24 April 2006 (UTC)


 * will have a coffee for you  regards from us all in totnes
 * redwizard

Leechwell
Just created a Leechwell article. If anyone wants to improve it, go ahead! Totnesmartin 15:24, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

Sharpham link
I've clarified the 'Sharpham' link to show that it's to a Buddhist training centre. My feeling is that it's not relevant to the article but as a neophyte Wikipedian I'll leave it someone with more experience to decide whether to remove it. --John Stumbles 13:16, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

New age
Totnes doesnt have a reputation for being a haven for new age travellers as far as I am aware, if you want to restore this please source. Its reputation as a New Age community clearly goes back to the twenties and the Elmhirsts and by the 90's this reputation was firmly estabklished, having been their in the late eighties this was unquestionably the case and nothing changed with the advent of the nineties, SqueakBox 17:54, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Living here now I see the new age community in a gentle decline - one or two shops have closed and several people have moved to e.g. Ashburton (which is becoming a mini-Totnes); however there are still many places left: Arcturus, Speaking Tree, Willow, Greenlife etc plus 4 alternative healing centres - and a bloke who gives "gong showers" in the market square! Totnesmartin 18:14, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Not heard of Speaking Tree but its more than 4 years since I was in Totnes! I saw Friar, classic new age geezer, in the press the other day about the Dartington closure. I have contacts still and I get that Totnes hasnt changed that much at all (still the same old sleepy towen as someone said to me recently) but alternative values have become much more mainstream recently, eg organic food, so it doesnt surprise me that Totnes's identity as a new age centre is slowly declining, SqueakBox 18:23, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

Transition town Totnes
Should I put this in? Totnesmartin 14:52, 10 March 2007 (UTC)
 * I have done so, this is a very credible looking site. I think it shows that alternative has become very mainstream in Totnes, more so than elsewhere, and its the local politicians involved which impresses me. Good find, SqueakBox 20:03, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

This should not be included on the Totnes Wikipedia entry, as Transition Town is a political organisation, passing itself off as a community based organisation, and therefore should not be included according to Wikipedia's own guidelines. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.84.209.81 (talk) 15:28, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

School of English
Glad to see that Totnes school of English's blatant publicity grab (which was completely out of place here) has been removed. Any chance they can be censured for this? Pafcwoody 00:56, 30 May 2007 (UTC)
 * Well, I could pop round... Totnesmartin 09:41, 30 May 2007 (UTC)

Notable people - needs tidying
The list of notable is quite long now, so I think it should be sorted into some sort of order. My ideas are:
 * two lists - born in Totnes/moved to Totnes
 * A chronological or alphabetical list.

Any comments?

Totnesmartin (skiving) 13:11, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

pronunciation again
From the discussion above, it appears the pronunciation might be, that it, as tot-NESS. However, there's a question as to whether it's ever tot-NISS, or if the stress is on the first syllable, TOT-nəs. I'm getting reverted for fixing the IPA per that discussion. Does anyone know? kwami (talk) 22:30, 22 November 2007 (UTC) Both the tot emphasis and the ness emphasis are both well-established and it's not really a matter of which is "right" - in pronunciation, rightness comes from common use. Totnesmartin (talk) 16:36, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

Major edits
I got a bit carried away this afternoon, and have attacked the article with a printout of WP:UKTOWNS in my hand. Hope I've not trodden on anyone's toes - feel free to edit it further and correct any mistakes/omissions/bad phrasing etc. I've added a couple of comments in the code indicating where I think further expansion is needed. Cheers, —S MALL  JIM   21:17, 2 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Well done and thanks! Wikipedia needs more boldness, rather than shed painting. bsrboy (talk) 21:47, 2 July 2008 (UTC)
 * There's a need for both, in moderation, don't you think? Wikignoming is very important, and being too bold can have unwanted consequences. —S MALL  JIM   22:43, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Totnes Festival and Totnes Image Bank
I am wondering why the information I added about Totnes Festival, and the external link to Totnes Image Bank were removed. As far as I am aware, Totnes Image Bank is a unqiue and non-profitable organisation and plays an important part in documenting the history of Totnes. I am wondering why linking to would be considered prohibited.

The same kind of reasoning applies to the annual Totnes Festival.

I am totally new to editing Wikipedia so plesae excuse me if it is not the correct place to discuss this. Regards, Mik Wells 16:38, 15 September 2009 (UTC)


 * I was a bit hasty in removing the image bank link. Having looked at the content and "about us" page I realise it is probably a worthy link so have reinstated it. Apologies. As for your other edit I have a couple of issues. Firstly language wasn't encyclopaedic - "gets better by the year" and "beautiful" are subjective terms. The contribution could be expanded to include more about the festival and written in more appropriate language e.g. "Totnes Festival, which is held annually in September, is a ten day cultural celebration. It features exhibitions, workshops and performances of music, comedy and drama. The highlight is the lantern procession, where residents in fancy dress carry wicker lanterns and giant illuminated figures." (that's just an example, it could be much more detailed - perhaps a few sentences or a paragraph) You could then provide one or more references from the local press or some other source which describe the festival and procession. My second problem was with the flickr link. That is to your own photo collection, and while they are good photos, they are copyright as "all rights reserved". As you own the images why not upload one or more of them to Wikimedia commons and feature them in the article?  There is an existing category for Totnes on Wikimedia Commons to which you could add the photos. --Simple Bob (talk) 07:23, 17 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Super! You have obviously spent a lot of time on this. I appreciate your fanstastic feedback.  I see your point about the images on Flickr and I will indeed upload a few to the Wikimedia Commons.  I'll also try to write something less subjective and more detailed concerning the festival.  Again, many thanks. --Mik Wells 22:29, 17 September 2009 (UTC)

I hadn't seen this & removed the link. In my opinion the link (image bank) is not under the heading of required links. Images - uploaded to Commons would be great though. As to the festival it would have to be notable (by wiki definition) to be included. Bear in mind this is an encyclopaedia not a directory of any possibly relevant links. Thanks -- Herby talk thyme 11:47, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

Modern history
Conventionally 1485 is regarded as the beginning of modern history in England and Wales. A later date would make the Tudor period partly medieval. Beginning it at 1509 would still put 1523 into modern history and 1547 is rather too late.--Felix Folio Secundus (talk) 08:12, 26 December 2009 (UTC)

worth mentioning?

 * https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/25/town-fights-independence-britain-brexit-7758359/
 * --Kmhkmh (talk) 23:46, 18 August 2018 (UTC)
 * No. Primefac (talk) 16:29, 26 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Why not, it seems notableand appears in multiple reliable sources including the BBC and the Independent and shows Totnes notable on brexit, the most important national issue of the day., please explain why not. ♫ RichardWeiss talk contribs 16:48, 26 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Because even if they were serious, I cannot find any press coverage outside of the week that it happened, indicating that it was a "cute story" that never actually went anywhere (for pretty obvious legal reasons). Primefac (talk) 16:58, 26 August 2018 (UTC)
 * Well, I'm not sure what kind of reporting you expect or where you expect it go. The was however relatively large spread even international coverage this summer, which imho enough for being interesting tidbit in the town history, which might be worthwile to mention.--Kmhkmh (talk) 04:46, 28 August 2018 (UTC)

So-called 'Brutus Stone' controversy
The granite boulder outside 57 Fore St is a listed monument. There is no proof that it is the legendary stone and there is no proof that it is not. There is no widely accepted proof of the legend of Brutus. There are a number of historical records of a large flat stone in Totnes used for making announcements, or perhaps marking a position or boundary - the Bruiting Stone or Brodestone. It's location as stated in some of these records is not this place and this boulder is neither large nor flat. Furthermore records do exist of when and who put the granite boulder in it's position in Fore St in recent history, or allegations to that effect. Controversy exists. Is there another stone? I'm researching this. Any thought's anyone? Thelisteninghand (talk) 20:16, 22 November 2020 (UTC)