People being woke is a big point of discussion these days. People are either too woke or not woke enough, with both sides seemingly delighted at being able to tell each other why they’re wrong from the safety of their keyboards.
Whatever your position on a subject, constructive discussion about what is right or wrong is good to keep society evolving. Sometimes, however, an answer is clear right from the start.
The week before last, I noticed a post on Facebook about a street name in ‘New Cardington’ that was causing a bit of controversy.
Local historian Trevor Monk had posted his belief that Burns Road is an inappropriate street name, what with it being in the literal shadow of the Cardington Sheds and the way the victims of the R101 disaster were killed.
Read: Petition started to change “bad taste” Shortstown road name
To understand why, and for those who may not be aware, we need to not just look at the history of the sheds but, more so, what happened to the R101 airship.
While the sheds (they’re not hangars) are known these days as film studios, the sheds’ history is much more fascinating and important when you consider the part they played in British Aviation history.
It’s also sadly tragic.
On 5 October 1930, the R101 airship was on its way from Cardington to Karachi, which at the time was in India, (it became part of Pakistan in 1947), when it crashed into a hill in Beauvais, France.
The impact was said to be gentle and survivable, but a fierce fire broke out.
While there have been a number of suggestions as to what caused the fire, the official inquiry into the crash said the most probable cause was that a spark from the airship’s electrics ignited escaping hydrogen.
Fuel oil from the wreck had soaked into the ground and in the extreme heat also caught fire. It was still burning when officials arrived by air the next day.
In total 48 passengers and crew died, some of them so badly burned they were not able to be officially identified.
To the casual observer, being offended at ‘Burns Road’ as a street name near the sheds may appear to be an overreaction.
However, when you also consider that the road leading to Burns Road is Mason Road, the offence becomes more apparent.
C.H. Mason, whom that road was named after, was an assistant coxswain on the R101 and he burned to death in the inferno following the crash.
He was one of the victims whose injuries were so severe his body was not able to be officially identified.
Buried nearby
The bodies of asst. coxswain Mason and the other victims of this disaster were brought back to England a few days after the crash.
Their sacrifice was so significant, a memorial service took place at St Paul’s Cathedral and the bodies lay in state in Westminster Hall at the Palace of Westminster.
It’s reported that 90,000 people queued to pay their respects, with the queue at one time reaching half a mile long, and the hall kept open until gone midnight to admit them all.
You may be able to easily imagine the scene back then as we’ve seen very similar ourselves more recently.
Of course, those queues may not have been as long as those we recently saw for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, but they show the impact this disaster had on the British people – it was a national tragedy.
On 11 October 1930, the bodies were then taken by train from Euston station and brought to Cardington village. They were buried in the cemetery of St Mary’s Church, a monument was later erected that still stands there today.
The Royal Air Force roundel scorched from the fire, which the R101 had flown on its tail, is on display in the church’s nave along with a memorial tablet.
It doesn’t matter if you’re not offended
Trevor has gained support for his petition, but he’s also been met with insults and criticism.
Trevor himself seems unphased by the barrage of insults thrown at him, clearly being called names doesn’t offend him, but he retains his opinion that this road name is in “bad taste”.
Of course, people are always welcome to criticise, but it’s clear that those who have criticised haven’t really tried to understand why some people are upset before spewing their faux-outrage at this ‘wokeness’.
It doesn’t matter that you aren’t offended, or you can’t see why some people are. What matters is that some people are offended, and one of them has more of a right to be offended than most.
On Trevor’s Cardington Sheds Facebook fan page, the granddaughter of C.H. Mason has given her thoughts on the matter, “Burns Road? Disgusting and totally disrespectful to all of the R101 victims! Signed”, she said.
The thing about offence and being offended is that they are about feelings. Feelings are personal to each of us. What may offend one person might not offend anyone else and vice versa.
If you’re not offended by a road name and can’t give any real justification for why it shouldn’t be changed, then what does it matter to you if it does get changed?
No one called Burns was killed in the disaster, and both the parish council nor Bedford Borough Council have given a reason why this name was chosen.
The unoffended don’t have to concern themselves with this. It wasn’t your grandfather or great-grandfather or great-uncle and so on who was burned to death.
If you’re one of the unoffended, it doesn’t matter if you feel the people getting upset are ‘woke’, ‘over-sensitive’ or ‘snowflakes’, it matters to them and their offence is justified.
If you’re one of the unoffended, just move on. Let those who care about this issue find a resolution that satisfies their need to see tributes to those who died in the R101 disaster unmarred by insensitive road names.
I might not be offended by this road sign myself, but I still think it’s insensitive. If I’m ‘woke’ for agreeing with and supporting the family members of those killed in this disaster, so be it, I wear that badge with pride.
Shortstown Parish Council told me they’ll discuss asking the Borough Council to get the name changed at their next meeting.
However, we shouldn’t have to wait for bureaucrats to discuss this at multiple meetings. Just just get on with it and change the name now. It’s the right thing to do and there isn’t a convincing argument that says otherwise.
You can read more about Trevor’s thoughts on the street name and sign his petition here.
