A pub named after an iconic British car has been forced to change its name – because people say it is offensive.
The Midget in Oxfordshire came under fire after a lecturer with dwarfism said its name was offensive and launched an online petition to rename it – quickly garnering 500 signatures with the number tonight standing at over 1,300.
The pub, part of the nationwide Greene King chain and found in the town of Abingdon near Oxford, is now set to undergo a six-figure refurbishment from the franchise.
It was previously claimed that the pub was named The Magic Midget, after the MG EX 127 car, built by the town’s former MG factory and nicknamed the Magic Midget. The car broke the world land speed record of 120mph in 1932.
But its branding was changed to simply The Midget in 2002. It was claimed this was a reference to the fact MG went on to produce a wider range of ‘Midget’ models of car.
It will now be called The Roaring Raindrop, after another MG car which was built to attempt the land speed record in the fifties.
The pub has been open since 1974 off Preston Road in the town. Work on its refurb will begin later this month.
Dr Erin Pritchard, a senior lecturer in Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University, launched the petition demanding the name be changed as it was deemed offensive to some people.
They said Greene King “should recognise the offence of the term and its implications”.
Dr Pritchard, who spoke with Greene King about the matter, said: “The term midget is a form of disablist hate speech, which I and most other people with dwarfism, have experienced as a form of bullying, including having it shouted at us by strangers.
“It is a term that should be consigned to the history books.”
The Roaring Raindrop was the last ever record breaking EX 181 car from MG built in Abingdon, and was driven by the iconic Sir Stirling Moss in 1957.
Sir Stirling Moss set a land speed record of 245.6mph over a distance of 1km at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA before the car then broke its own record of 254.9mph in 1959.
Zoe Bowley, managing director of Greene King pubs, said: “I’m delighted that we’re investing such a significant sum in bringing a new lease of life to this true community pub in its 50th year.
“Pubs are at the heart of communities and are all about bringing people together. I would like to thank the MG Car Club for welcoming us into their headquarters in Abingdon to explain the history of both cars and their importance to the area.
“We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.”
The new name was worked on by the MG Car Club, which is based in the town’s Cemetery Road.
Andy Knott, MG Car Club manager, said: “Working with Greene King has been fantastic. For the MG Car Club, it was essential to preserve the pub’s connection to the marque.
“With MG moving to Abingdon in 1929 and building iconic cars for 50 years, it’s become a significant part of the town’s history. The name MG still draws thousands of enthusiasts to Abingdon every year.
“EX 181, known as The Roaring Raindrop, marked MG Abingdon’s final foray into record breaking in 1959.”
