Talk:Welwyn Garden City

Interesting Facts
I think this section is in danger of growing into a laundry list and some of the interesting facts are debatable. European markets for example. A lot of towns have these. I think much of the information needs separation into a section regarding Welwyn Garden as a garden city itself - quotes from professors for example. I started to prune but then thought I'd put it out to fellow wikipedians... :) Snecklifter 19:03, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

I agree. It should be modified into a trivia section and thus would only contain a few facts. (Willieboyisaloser 17:32, 8 October 2007 (UTC))

Naming conventions
Mostly I've heard people call the village "Old Welwyn" and Welwyn WGC "Welwyn Garden". Marnanel 23:40, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)


 * Same here. People do often say "Welwyn" when they mean "Welwyn Garden City", but it is clearly incorrect. --Auximines 23:52, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)


 * Yes - now I think about it, "Old Welwyn" would often be used the village, but I still think "Welwyn" would usually refer to WGC (although I accept that this is incorrect!). Perhaps it is just my family - we are from St Albans, after all. -- ALoan (Talk) 09:34, 23 Jun 2004 (UTC)


 * On the trains the 'Old Welwyn' is known as Welwyn North, at least i think so.


 * Actually Old Welwyn Doesn't have a railway Station. Welwyn North Station is in Digswell

As there is disagreement about names for the town, and various statements without sources have been put in and then taken out again, I have removed this passage: "(also referred to as Welwyn Garden or The Garden City not Welwyn, a village 2 miles North)". If citations can be found for customary names, they can be put in again. Note that there is no such thing as a "correct" or an "incorrect" name, there are only names in use or not in use. Marshall46 (talk) 13:02, 26 May 2010 (UTC)

Pronunciation
How do you pronounce "Welwyn"? Is it just well-win? Maccoinnich 18:22, July 13, 2005 (UTC)


 * In London its pronounced "Welling" but might be pronounced differently locally. MRSC 19:10, 13 July 2005 (UTC)

Well, coming from South africa and settling in WGC, we started off by pronouncing it Welwin", but were very quickly corrected into saying "Wel-lin" (just drop the 2nd "w")


 * The correct pronounciation is as the last comment states - without the second 'w': 'Well-in. It shouldn't be pronounced Well-win, Welling, etc. Howie  &#9742;  17:33, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

Agreed, Well-In is the correct pronouncitation. (MikeStrong 14:25, 19 March 2007 (UTC))

Airstrip
Looks like a disused one north of Panshanger. When was it active? 213.205.240.50 (talk) 12:52, 11 January 2021 (UTC)

Citations Needed?
Somebody has marked that all of the interesting facts are needing citation, as a resident of WGC I can confirm that all of these are true. The only one that may stary from the truth is the bit about the European Markets, they occur more on a seasonal basis, once every 3 months. Is citation still needed seeing as that I, a resident cant confirm these?
 * I think citations are still needed for the commercially relevant facts, and it would be nice if someone could find a source that proves the (seemingly obvious) reason for the naming of the Howard Centre. Also, it would be good to have the date when the visiting markets started. Alf Boggis 12:53, 2 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm not sure that the BBC series 'Superstars' was filmed in WGC throughout the 70's and 80's I've lived in the town all my life and I can recall only one programme of the entire series run being filmed here and that was at the Gosling Stadium in the late 70's. Due to the premature onset of old age, the only names I can definately remember from that day are Peter Collins and Bob Latchford! Ivor Williams

Local Companies
Note Roche has recently moved operations out of Welwyn Garden City and the 88,000sq ft site is not vacant

Should that be now vacant...? Though last I heard, Roche was still there. Also did the Sainsbury's development go ahead as planned in November 2006? Alf Boggis 12:58, 2 January 2007 (UTC)


 * No the development did not go ahead, it is under review by Sainsbury's, allegedly because Tesco is pushing for planning permission to develop a supermarket on land they own near the old Shredded Wheat factory. I have removed the reference (IMO it is of dubious encyclopaedic interest anyway). Satyricon uk 06:44, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Roche has only moved half a mile away into shire park.Khokhar976 (talk) sort-of opposite to the Tesco buildings. Roche also "sponsor" the #6 Arriva Bus route from the Station to thier new offices (believe this to be free to Roche staff, confirmed fare in 2007 to be £5 to anyone else). —Preceding comment was added at 11:59, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Tesco run their own minibus services (using unmarked vehicles but can be identified by route signs in side windows) for their staff to/from the station at peak times, and to their other office sites in Hertfordshire at regular intervals throughout the day, using Shire Park as a hub.

IBM have moved out of Rosanne House (moving remaining staff to their unmarked building in Stevenage). Rosanne House is undergoing redevelopment to turn part to the building into flats.

Local Schools
Does anyone else think it strange to list the local schools in this article? I don't see this done in any other articles on towns. If we're going to list local schools, why not list local pubs, or local anything else? I propose the list be removed. Alf Boggis 09:49, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

Unless the school picks up fame or a certain event happens there, then they shouldn't be listed in my view. Govvy 09:51, 6 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I agree. If no-one objects to their removal, I'll delete next week. Satyricon uk 10:31, 10 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I certainly agree the list should go, especially the primary schools. But Oaklands, at least, is worth a mention is it not? Why not replace the list with a paragraph along the lines of...

The town has three local schools - Stanborough School, Sir Frederic Osborn School and Monk's Walk School - as well as a sixth form college - Oaklands College.
 * ? The article on Hoddesdon, for example, mentions its schools. --JimmyTheWig 12:19, 13 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Oh well somebody beat me to it! I think it looks better without the list. If you think it needs the links you provided JimmyTheWig, you're obviously free to add it, but I think it might encourage the whole list starting again. Satyricon uk 18:15, 16 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I removed the list, I think it looks better without the list of schools. Govvy 18:46, 19 March 2007 (UTC)

I concur, albeit with a heavy heart. (I attended one of the schools.) (Willieboyisaloser 17:40, 8 October 2007 (UTC))

To be honest, I think the list should still be there, seeing many of us who come from this area (WGC). However there the list needs to be editted seeing there another school in the area called Sherrardwood school (Sp?) which is just over the fields of monks walk school. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.199.39.122 (talk) 09:56, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

Letchworth Garden City "Experiment"
This may be superfluous, but I noted this sentence "...founded by Sir Ebenezer Howard in the 1920s following his previous experiment in Letchworth Garden City" as humourous. [Unintentionally sounding secretive as to the "experiment"]. Not that I want it removed. Willieboyisaloser 17:37, 8 October 2007 (UTC))

Hatfield
I removed this sentence: "The townsfolk of Hatfield would also welcome the opportunity to become independent of WGC," because no source is given for this statement about the supposed opinions of Hatfield residents concerning the creation of a Welwyn Garden City parish council. Marshall46 (talk) 12:26, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

Town or city?
I changed "city in Hertfordshire" to "town in Hertfordshire". It is a Garden City, but not a city. Marshall46 (talk) 13:01, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

Andrew Saint
This nice quote has no source and I cannot find one, so I have reluctantly removed it: "Welwyn Garden city was described as "one of modern Europe's greatest success stories in town-making" by Cambridge professor of architecture Andrew Saint." Marshall46 (talk) 15:25, 21 October 2009 (UTC)

"Times" citation
This statement has no citation: "The Times newspaper said: "Welwyn Garden City made The New Towns Act possible." Could someone with a subscription to The Times archive look it up, please?  There was an editorial on the subject on 3 January 1948.  Marshall46 (talk) 08:26, 21 July 2010 (UTC)


 * I have found it - and the full quotation is rather more interesting: "Welwyn [sic], though far from perfect, made the New Towns Act possible, just as Hatfield, by its imperfection, made it necessary." Marshall46 (talk) 10:09, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

which Kings Cross?
Let someone correct the link for some specific one. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.193.160.244 (talk) 13:57, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

List of Businesses
Should each company in the list not have a citation next to it to confirm it's in the town? Govvy (talk) 11:46, 14 January 2013 (UTC)

Notable people list
Unless citations are given next to names of people on the list then the list should be deleted. Govvy (talk) 12:54, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

List moved here as no citations provided it was removed from main page.

- Govvy (talk) 20:31, 14 July 2016 (UTC)
 * *S*M*A*S*H punk rock band
 * The Subways rock band
 * Damien Hirst, artist and entrepreneur
 * Nick Faldo, champion golfer and BBC commentator
 * David James, soccer goalkeeper
 * Mick Taylor, former Rolling Stones guitarist
 * Flora Robson, actress

Popular culture section
This also lacks citation and maybe deleted because of that. Govvy (talk) 12:53, 2 February 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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External links modified (January 2018)
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