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COMMON NAME?

Thursday, 03 May 2012 11:32

So you think you have a common name like Androulla or Andreas but think again. A survey of names in the UK up to the year 2010 reveals how common your name
really is: and I can tell you it is not what you think it is.

In the whole of 2010 only 3 babies were called Androulla and if you go back to 2009 no babies were registered as Androulla and only 42 babies were called Andreas in 2010 – so you see you can stop feeling as if you are common, you are not.

Now of course this survey is for UK and does not include Cyprus or Greece but then again there are around half a million of us here in the UK. There are certain names that are unique to our community only, for example if you check the name Maria out you will see that 644 babies were called that name in 2010 ranking as 91 overall most popular name but Maria is used by other nationalities so you cannot really judge it against what our community is calling its babies again this.

Not one baby was called Georgos in the last 10 years probably because we registered our babies as ‘George’ to make is more acceptable in the UK. So I asked myself what are the other unique names for our community that other ‘foreigners’ would not use and I came up with Constantinos and this only had 9 registered babies against this name in 2010 and only 3 in 2009.

Alexander on the other hand was extremely popular in 2010 and 3,025 babies were called that ranking it 21 most popular name that year but again other nationalities have adopted Alexander as their own but check out Alexandros and you have 31 babies in 2010 called that. Take the name Demetri which you would have thought would be really popular only 4 babies in 2010. Have we as a community lost our love of Greek names? I think we have.

As I scan the survey for names such as Astero or Ourania there has not been one single registration for either of these names in 10 years – what a pity. No Demos no Petros but there were 4 Panayiotis and 4 Panayiota so 8 families are still going for the typical Greek names.

As far as Olympia is concerned not one single baby was called that in 2010, so I rest my case: but probably because of these Olympics this should raise its profile a bit. Our community is opting for non Greek names to make it ‘easier’ for them to live in the UK, or is it to make their parents’ lives easier.

If you loose the sound of your own Greek name you start loosing your identity your roots and that for me is really not a good thing. What of my own children’s names, well Kristina had 50 babies in 2010, Anastasia 113 but that is because it has been again adopted by other nationalities and Stefanos only 4 babies in 2010: just to prove I put my money where my mouth is and believe that we should never forget where we came from that is why I would never change me name for anything or to Olivia or to anything else remotely non Greek sounding.

If the British can say Navratilova they can say Olympia or any other Greek sounding name if they try so don’t be put off, name your babies after your yiayia or bappou, mum or dad and don’t worry about it sounding weird to the British, it won’t.

THE SMILE OF A CHILD (GREECE)

This is an appeal on behalf of The Smile of a Child charity which is based in Greece and is in need desperately of things to be sent to Greece to help children in orphanages and to children who are suffering in the economic climate in Greece.

They are appealing to be sent any household products, baby clothes, children’s clothes up to the age of 18; DIY equipment, toiletries etc please phone 07793199428 or 01279 415155 Liz or Emily or email ekonstantas@aol.com. This is a proper charity as I have checked their credentials and this is a way of helping others in a small way without costing you too much. Greece has around 15 orphanages which have lost a lot of their support due to the financial crises; this is a way in which we can help.

If you have a lorry, they have a lorry driver who can take the goods to Greece sometime in June. If you are a shipping company they will be grateful if you could take a box or two to Greece for them or if you are a business then they would be grateful if you could pay for the shipping so every penny goes to the children. They are willing to pick up any goods from you but if it is easier you can drop them off to us here at GREEKCITY. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder with the people who need us now. I want to take the opportunity of saying a big thanks to everyone who has left clothing and donated things to this cause so far: the response has been unbelievable.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

26th May 2012 – IVY HILL HOTEL, MARGERETTING, ESSEX, CM4 0EH – THE GRECIAN KINGS with DANCERS 3 course meal & half a bottle of wine only £35pp SPONSORED by MONNIS restaurant of Chelmsford – phone Peter on 01376 512131/Fanos on 07952 826244 or Greek City on 020 8889 0186 for your table. ONE NIGHT ONLY EXTRAVAGANZA.

IN LONDON FOR THE FIRST TIME: LAKIS LAZOPOULOS

Tuesday 29th May 2012 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – TICKETS available at GREEK CITY for £15/£25/£35/£45 & £55 phone 020 8889 0186 The show "Sorry I' m Greek", which is written, directed and presented by
Lakis Lazopoulos includes three musicians and four dancers – SUBTITLED for us born in the UK!

WINE FESTIVAL 30th June & 1st July 2012 – KAITI GARMBI is singing her heart out just for you, so be there.

I FEEL WEIRD

I actually do feel weird these days. I feel that I am fighting the whole world. Our rates came in at the shop and they were almost £7,500 per year and that is with small business relief. I thought that this government was meant to help small businesses but it obviously is not at ground level.

At ground level the Councils’ are putting up our rates the landlords putting up our rent and we are all drowning. I just do not get it that Councils prefer businesses to shut down rather than being reasonable with rates. If our shop which is in a secondary position and not on a high street is paying so much then I can only imagine what other shops are being charged and I find that heart breaking for small businesses to be pushed to such a limit.

Why would Council prefer to have empty shops than small businesses is anyone’s guess but I can only imagine that they want to replace these small businesses with larger chains like every other High Street. Slowly the small businesses are being closed down and the betting shops and pawn shops or charity shops are moving in as soon as they can – it makes no sense to lose the heart of the high street to a hand full of chain shops.

We see it time and time again the Costa coffees the Tesco Xpress the betting shops all taking over where once stood the specialised shops such as the glazier or the shoe repairer or other useful souls. We are becoming so uniformed in what we are given to wear, given to eat and given to trade that we are in fact becoming zombies: all alike.

It is frightening how little anyone cares really, in the Council or in the Government, nobody cares as the small businesses close their doors at an alarming rate and no matter how hard you work you cannot make ends meet.

Not a good sign, yet a lot of us are optimistic that it will ‘change soon’ for the better and hope that we can ride this worldwide depression, hopefully many of us can and for those of you who work at council rates department, if you are listening, you have got all your priorities wrong, you are killing off individuality and turning your high streets into nothing but offices, charity & betting shops instead of preserving unique and specialist shops.

You need to buck up your ideas and save your shops before it’s too late, before every single high street looks exactly the same as every high street.

Me Poli Love