| Re: Naming of gritter lorries Posted by Clan Line at 12:33, 20th December 2025 |     |
Wiltshire
| Re: Naming of gritter lorries Posted by ChrisB at 12:01, 20th December 2025 | |
From Oxfordshire County Council
Famous Oxfordshire figures inspire names for county’s fleet of gritters
Radiospread, Alfred the Grit, Sir Winston Chur-chill, Agatha Gritstie, Inspector Norse, Prof Stephen Thawking and Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster among those chosen
Oxfordshire leaders, writers, scientists, musicians, locations and sports stars have helped inspire some pun-tastic names for the county’s fleet of gritters.
Earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council and its highways maintenance contractor M Group announced a competition to name the 30 gritting lorries that ensure that the county’s roads keep moving and stay safe when the cold weather hits. Nearly 1,500 suggestions were received.
Wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Chur-chill and his Woodstock birthplace of Blenheim Pal-ice made the cut, along with Wantage-born King Alfred the Grit.
People would be right to suspect that Wallingford’s queen of the whodunnits Agatha Gritstie was a popular choice, while Oxford’s most famous fictional detective Endeavour Morse has been immortalised as Inspector Norse. The late actor who played him, the appropriately named John Thaw, was also chosen.
There will be no surprises that local rock legends Radiohead – fresh from their sell-out comeback tour – had a vehicle, Radiospread, named after them.
Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster, who broke the four minute mile barrier at Oxford’s Iffley Road running track in 1954, was a worthy recipient, along with the late footballer Joey Beauchamp – regarded by many as the greatest player in Oxford United’s history. Snowy Beauchamp was chosen to honour him.
Groundbreaking Oxford-born cosmologist Professor Stephen Thawking and Snowdo Baggins – named after Frodo Baggins, a character in Oxford don JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit – made the grade.
Oxfordshire landmarks Shotover Hill and the Wittenham Clumps – aka Shotover Chill and Grittenham Clumps – were also among the successful public suggestions.
The process followed the appeal in October, which put an emphasis on names with local significance, inspired by Oxfordshire’s rich history and cultural importance.
A shortlist was compiled from the 1,480 suggestions received, with the gritter drivers themselves choosing the winners.
Listeners to the BBC Radio Oxford Breakfast Show took part as well, coming up with three of the names.
Pupils from the schools closest to the council’s depots where the gritters and salt barns are based – Woodcote Primary, Deddington CE Primary and Drayton Community Primary – also chose three names each. The children will get the chance to meet their gritters later this winter.
Two vehicles were named in tribute to gritter drivers and supervisors who died recently, while Blizzard of Ozz was a nod to Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier this year. While not local, the cover of their debut album was photographed on the Mapledurham estate in Oxfordshire.
The names in full
Bossy
Monster Rich
Snow-bi Wan Kenobi
Robin the Great
Duck, Duck, Grit
Draytonator!
Did You Just In-Salt Me?
Great Gritain
Hansel and Gritel
Gritasaurus
Ready, Spready, Go
Elvis Spreadley
Inspector Norse
Agatha Gritstie
Snowy Beauchamp
Gritty Gritty Bang Bang
Sir Winston Chur-chill
Shotover Chill
Snowdo Baggins
Radiospread
Professor Stephen Thawking
Claudia Sprinkleman
Blenheim Pal-ice
Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster
Grittenham Clumps
Grittmeister 5000
Alfred the Grit
Spready Mercury
John Thaw
Blizzard of Ozz.
Radiospread, Alfred the Grit, Sir Winston Chur-chill, Agatha Gritstie, Inspector Norse, Prof Stephen Thawking and Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster among those chosen
Oxfordshire leaders, writers, scientists, musicians, locations and sports stars have helped inspire some pun-tastic names for the county’s fleet of gritters.
Earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council and its highways maintenance contractor M Group announced a competition to name the 30 gritting lorries that ensure that the county’s roads keep moving and stay safe when the cold weather hits. Nearly 1,500 suggestions were received.
Wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Chur-chill and his Woodstock birthplace of Blenheim Pal-ice made the cut, along with Wantage-born King Alfred the Grit.
People would be right to suspect that Wallingford’s queen of the whodunnits Agatha Gritstie was a popular choice, while Oxford’s most famous fictional detective Endeavour Morse has been immortalised as Inspector Norse. The late actor who played him, the appropriately named John Thaw, was also chosen.
There will be no surprises that local rock legends Radiohead – fresh from their sell-out comeback tour – had a vehicle, Radiospread, named after them.
Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster, who broke the four minute mile barrier at Oxford’s Iffley Road running track in 1954, was a worthy recipient, along with the late footballer Joey Beauchamp – regarded by many as the greatest player in Oxford United’s history. Snowy Beauchamp was chosen to honour him.
Groundbreaking Oxford-born cosmologist Professor Stephen Thawking and Snowdo Baggins – named after Frodo Baggins, a character in Oxford don JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit – made the grade.
Oxfordshire landmarks Shotover Hill and the Wittenham Clumps – aka Shotover Chill and Grittenham Clumps – were also among the successful public suggestions.
The process followed the appeal in October, which put an emphasis on names with local significance, inspired by Oxfordshire’s rich history and cultural importance.
A shortlist was compiled from the 1,480 suggestions received, with the gritter drivers themselves choosing the winners.
Listeners to the BBC Radio Oxford Breakfast Show took part as well, coming up with three of the names.
Pupils from the schools closest to the council’s depots where the gritters and salt barns are based – Woodcote Primary, Deddington CE Primary and Drayton Community Primary – also chose three names each. The children will get the chance to meet their gritters later this winter.
Two vehicles were named in tribute to gritter drivers and supervisors who died recently, while Blizzard of Ozz was a nod to Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away earlier this year. While not local, the cover of their debut album was photographed on the Mapledurham estate in Oxfordshire.
The names in full
Bossy
Monster Rich
Snow-bi Wan Kenobi
Robin the Great
Duck, Duck, Grit
Draytonator!
Did You Just In-Salt Me?
Great Gritain
Hansel and Gritel
Gritasaurus
Ready, Spready, Go
Elvis Spreadley
Inspector Norse
Agatha Gritstie
Snowy Beauchamp
Gritty Gritty Bang Bang
Sir Winston Chur-chill
Shotover Chill
Snowdo Baggins
Radiospread
Professor Stephen Thawking
Claudia Sprinkleman
Blenheim Pal-ice
Sir Roger Ban-ice-ster
Grittenham Clumps
Grittmeister 5000
Alfred the Grit
Spready Mercury
John Thaw
Blizzard of Ozz.
| Naming of gritter lorries Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 11:23, 20th December 2025 | |
From the BBC:
Sir David Attenbrrr among ice cold BCP Council gritter names
Witty, wintry names have been picked for 13 gritters set for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole roads
Sir David Attenbrrr, Ice Ice Maybe and Slip Not are among the names chosen for a council's fleet of road gritters.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council asked residents to suggest "witty, wintry and wonderful" names for its fleet of 13 gritters.
The council said it received more than 1,000 suggestions to its naming challenge - Sir David Attenbrrr is already on duty - with names currently being added to the remaining 12 vehicles.
BCP's gritter fleet looks after 780 miles (1,255 km) of roads across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole spreading a stock of about 4,000 tonnes of dry rock salt over the winter months.
David Plowie, Chr-ice-church, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Auntie Freeze are among the other names chosen for the fleet this year.
The council said sign offcuts that would otherwise have been sent to the skip were used to create the names for the vehicles to minimise costs.
During snow and icy conditions, a series of weather stations are used to monitor road temperatures across the BCP road networks so the gritters can target the areas affected.
Witty, wintry names have been picked for 13 gritters set for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole roads
Sir David Attenbrrr, Ice Ice Maybe and Slip Not are among the names chosen for a council's fleet of road gritters.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council asked residents to suggest "witty, wintry and wonderful" names for its fleet of 13 gritters.
The council said it received more than 1,000 suggestions to its naming challenge - Sir David Attenbrrr is already on duty - with names currently being added to the remaining 12 vehicles.
BCP's gritter fleet looks after 780 miles (1,255 km) of roads across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole spreading a stock of about 4,000 tonnes of dry rock salt over the winter months.
David Plowie, Chr-ice-church, Gritty Gritty Bang Bang and Auntie Freeze are among the other names chosen for the fleet this year.
The council said sign offcuts that would otherwise have been sent to the skip were used to create the names for the vehicles to minimise costs.
During snow and icy conditions, a series of weather stations are used to monitor road temperatures across the BCP road networks so the gritters can target the areas affected.
