APOSTROPHE CORNER’

Hunstanton, Norfolk

You have to be joking, thought James Clayton as he stood outside ‘Britains Largest Joke Shop’

King James can cause problems to those who care for the correct use of the apostrophe. We recently reported that visitors to King James’s were being issued with security badges headed King Jame’s School, an error that has fortunately since been corrected.

The School did not realise that it was in good company in committing such a solecism. Step forward London Underground, whose famous tube map has had a love-hate relationship with the apostrophe ever since it was created by Harry Beck in 1931. In fairness, they do have a lot of apostrophes to keep an eye on — Baron’s Court, Regent’s Park, Earl’s Court and Shepherd’s Bush, to mention just a few. Most have appeared with and without apostophes over the years.

City of London

How many St Pauls were there, mused Dave Bush and his party on a recent visit to London

But in 1939, apostrophes were briefly back in fashion and Harry Beck produced what was to be his very last creation: a magnificent poster version of his beloved map.

A meticulous designer, one can only imagine his abject misery when, too late, he noticed the error in its labelling of a major station on the Circle/District lines.