It’s probably not surprising that Derry people are interested in the names of places. Everyone who grows up there is acutely aware that names can be political/powerful. Derry, Doire, Londonderry, L’Derry, Stroke City, the Maiden City, Legenderry... probably more I can't think of

To many of us who've moved away it’s simply ‘home.’ The name does matter though. It's always mattered. Take this seemingly small example...I remember calling 118 at 16 to get the number for a take away & asking someone in an English callcentre for the no. of China Garden in Derry

The response: ‘you mean Londonderry.’ That feeling of being corrected by someone you don’t know, who doesn’t sound like you, who knows it can be called both because why else would they ask, really struck a chord. It was the topic in school (you can imagine it on derry girls)

'It happened again' ‘someone else said Londonderry’, ‘they did it to me too’, usually met with frustration and great annoyance. It wasn’t necessarily that we were offended that some people did call it that, we knew that our whole lives although it was so rare in Derry

The problem was being corrected. Surely it was our right, our prerogative to call it Derry. It's not flippant, we haven’t just accidentally forgotten to say the London part. Something as everyday as getting the number for food would be an inherently political act in Derry.

This isn’t even scratching the surface of the big political and socio-economic debates happening on the streets and tvs. Just getting a number for a take away could be very formative and impact how you understand your identity and treat the names of places.

Upon moving to England, the ‘you mean Londonderry’ thing would happen all the time and it was to upset me. People who knew it was controversial. I accepted it as normal. I went through a phase where I’d say I was from Donegal because it was easier. No one would challenge me.

I left that phase by the time I finished uni. I am a proud Derry woman, why should other people’s (shit) humour impact where I say I’m from. It still happens all the time by the way. It’s always men too. They wrly say ‘do you mean Londonderry.’ In Ireland too from irl reply guys.

Sure, it’s just a bit of craic I’m told. I don’t think it’s funny. My place of birth, my identity, where I’m from is not up for debate. I’m older, wiser and it still bothers me. Because that’s the point most of the time, it’s to offend me. Language is powerful and important.