An Abingdon pub named in honour of the MG Midget is being re-named – but it’ll be honouring the town’s motoring heritage.
Greene King took the decision to have The Midget in Abingdon to change its name following a petition raised by Dr Erin Pritchard, a senior lecturer in Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University earlier this year. In February CCW reported that a counter petition had been raised by Sammie Rhodes, highlighting the pub’s longstanding celebrations of MG and its connections to the town.
A well-known watering hole for 50 years that celebrated the area’s links to the MG marque, as part of a major refurbishment, The Midget will be re-named The Roaring Raindrop in honour of the streamlined MG EX 181 in which Stirling Moss set a land speed record of 245.6mph in 1957.
Greene King pubs managing director, Zoe Bowley, told CCW: ‘I’m delighted that we’re investing such a significant sum in bringing a new lease of life to this true community pub in this its 50th year.
'We hope to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past'
‘Greene King’s investment will involve a complete refurbishment inside and outside the pub, while at the same time ensuring that it still has clear links with Abingdon’s heritage links to MG and car manufacturing.
‘Pubs are at the heart of communities and all about bringing people together. I would like to thank the MG Car Club for welcoming us into its 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.
‘We thought long and hard about changing the pub’s name and we’re also grateful to Dr Erin Pritchard who has engaged with us on the offence and hurt that 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 that our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.’
Alan Anderson