ANGOL OLVASÁS/HALLÁS UTÁNI ÉRTÉS: Miért kellett megváltoztatni ennek az angol pubnak a nevét?

Pub forced to change name after people complain it’s too offensive. A pub called The Midget after an iconic MG car is changing its name following complaints it’s offensive.

More than 1,000 people signed a petition to rename the pub in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which is owned by the Greene King chain. The petition was started by Dr Erin Pritchard, a disability lecturer at Liverpool Hope University, who has dwarfism.

The pub will close for a ‘six-figure’ refurbishment this month and reopen in December as the Roaring Raindrop, another historic MG car, Greene King confirmed. It’s understood the pub, which opened in 1974, was previously called The Magic Midget, after the MG EX 127 car.

Nicknamed the Magic Midget and built at the town’s former MG factory, the car broke the world land speed record of 120mph in 1932. The MG EX 181 Roaring Raindrop, meanwhile, broke a land speed record in 1957, while driven by Sir Stirling Moss. It then beat its own record, when another attempt was made by American Phil Hill in 1959.

In the petition, Dr Pritchard said Greene King ‘should recognise the offence of the term and its implications’.

Dr Pritchard, who spoke with Greene King about the matter, said: ‘The term midget is a form of disablist hate speech, which I and most other people with dwarfism, have experienced as a form of bullying, including having it shouted at us by strangers.

‘It is a term that should be consigned to the history books.’

Speaking about the refurb and name change, Zoe Bowley, managing director of Greene King pubs, said: ‘Pubs are at the heart of communities and are all about bringing people together. I would like to thank the MG Car Club for welcoming us into their headquarters in Abingdon to explain the history of both cars and their importance to the area. This really helped us to see that the new name needed to pay tribute to another icon of Abingdon and continue to tell the important story that the MG factory played in the town.

She said the Greene King was grateful to Dr Pritchard ‘who has engaged with (the chain) on the offence and hurt the name ‘Midget’ can cause.

‘We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.’

Andy Knott, MG Car Club manager, said: ‘For the MG Car Club, it was essential to preserve the pub’s connection to the marque.

‘With MG moving to Abingdon in 1929 and building iconic cars for 50 years, it’s become a significant part of the town’s history. The name MG still draws thousands of enthusiasts to Abingdon every year.’

source: Metro

Decide if the statements are true or false. 

1. The pub’s original name was inspired by a famous MG car.
2. The petition to change the pub’s name was started by a local resident.
3. The pub will be renamed after a car that set a speed record in the 1950s.
4. Dr Pritchard believes the term ‘midget’ is acceptable in modern language.
5. Greene King plans to maintain the pub’s historical connection to the MG brand.
6. The MG Car Club was against changing the pub’s name.
7. The pub is located in Liverpool, where Dr Pritchard works.

Correct Answers:

1. True – The text states the pub was named after an iconic MG car.
2. False – The petition was started by Dr Erin Pritchard, who is not mentioned as a local resident.
3. True – The new name, Roaring Raindrop, is after a car that set a speed record in the 1950s.
4. False – Dr Pritchard considers the term ‘midget’ to be offensive and a form of hate speech.
5. True – Greene King wants to preserve the pub’s historic links to the MG brand.
6. False – The MG Car Club wanted to preserve the pub’s connection to the MG marque.
7. False – The pub is located in Abingdon, not Liverpool.