Two Barnstaples And One Ilfracombe...forget The Bloody Awful Statue.

[DTCwordfan]

Great story on Spotlight news down here - someone from Ilfracombe called Barnstaple police station - and found themselves, after a few minutes of total confusion, talking to Barnstaple police station in Massachusetts. Finished with a brilliant answer to 'how long would it take you to get here?" Answer, 'about 6 hours.' - those Americans are dreaming!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/19/woman-has-hilarious-response-when-she-calls-barnstaple-police-bu/

[wolf63]

Back in the dark ages (when I had to work for my pennies) an old lady from Wales managed to get herself diverted to our office. She was asking about her Retirement Pension.

We are in Perth and she was near Porth. The problem was that her accent was really strong and she was deaf and didn't understand me.

I think that directory enquires was the cause of that problem.

[ummmm]

I had a confusing phone call with a hotel receptionist in Ireland. I'd booked the hotel a few days before we went. Landed in Knock and phoned what I thought was my daughters number. When the receptionist answered she sounded different so I said...

'is that Claire'
'Yes'
We're at the airport are you still coming to meet us?'
'Pardon'
'OH has just gone to pick up the car...we'll meet you at the statue'
'who is this?'

The convo went on for a bit longer before I realised I'd phoned the hotel and by coincidence she had the same name as my daughter...

[DTCwordfan]

lol, ummmm.....bet it wasn't that at the time....

[DTCwordfan]

wolfie, how Ilfracombe-Barnstaple ended up in Massachusetts is still unclear....I put it down to putting jam on top of your cream on a scone instead of the proper way.

[ummmm]

It was very confusing! Claire was still working in the reception when we arrived :-)

[DTCwordfan]

an excuse for you all to retire to the bar and reminisce then......

[DTCwordfan]

Pasta should like this yarn....home county to home country (if not State).....

[237SJ]

If the operator had asked how it was spelt, they would have realised that Barnstable is in the US and Barnstaple is in the UK. Last time I phoned the police from N Devon I was put through to a call centre who didn`t know the area so maybe that is where the problem arose

[Zacs-Master]

It,was actually BarnstaBle in the US.

[Zacs-Master]

Soz 237.

[DTCwordfan]

Devonian pronunciation of p can be rather hard, Zacs, just like their scones.

[Zacs-Master]

Ha! Had a bottle of Dent Aviator this aft. Up in the lakes at the mo.

[pastafreak]

I'm grinning as I read this. You need to be careful when googling numbers,etc of cities that share their names with those in the US.

[DTCwordfan]

thought you would, pasta.....

Are you staying near Dent, Zacs - if so, lucky buqqqer..

[237SJ]

"Devonian pronunciation of p can be rather hard" Nobody in North Devon pronounces it as BarnstaPle. My Mum was from London and even she said "BarnstaBle"

[DTCwordfan]

the recording of the conversation is fab for its confusion and eventual resolution....