https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-68942321 BBC Homepage * Skip to content * Accessibility Help * Your account * Home * News * Sport * Earth * Reel * Worklife * Travel * More menu More menu Search BBC * Home * News * Sport * Earth * Reel * Worklife * Travel * Culture * Future * Music * TV * Weather * Sounds Close menu BBC News Menu * Home * Israel-Gaza war * War in Ukraine * India Election 2024 * Climate * Video * World * US & Canada * UK * Business More * Tech * Science * Entertainment & Arts * Health * In Pictures * BBC Verify * World News TV * Newsbeat * England * Regions * York & North Yorkshire North Yorkshire Council to phase out apostrophe use on street signs * Published 16 hours ago Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing Old street sign on St Mary's WalkImage source, BBC / Naj Modak Image caption, On its way out? A newer sign on St Mary's Walk opposite this one was erected without an apostrophe By Naj Modak BBC News A local authority has announced it will ban apostrophes on street signs to avoid problems with computer systems. North Yorkshire Council is to ditch the problematic punctuation point as it says it can affect geographical databases. The council said all new street signs would be produced without one, regardless of previous use. Residents spoken to by the BBC urged the authority to retain apostrophes or risk "everything going downhill". The genteel North Yorkshire spa town of Harrogate is consistently named in surveys as one on the happiest places in the country to live. However, residents the BBC spoke to were generally not pleased with the council's plans. Post last pointing at new street signImage source, BBC / Naj Modak Image caption, Sam thinks it is "brilliant" that someone added an apostrophe to the new street sign on St Mary's Walk Postie Sam was just finishing her round when we caught up with her near a new St Mary's Walk sign that had been erected in the town with no apostrophe. However, it had since been altered to include one by an unknown hand with a pen. She said, "I walk past the sign every day and it riles my blood to see inappropriate grammar or punctuation." The former teacher said she thought it was "brilliant" someone had added the punctuation mark. She said that she spent time teaching children the basics of grammar only for it now to be abandoned on street signs. Couple pointing at street signImage source, BBC / Naj Modak Image caption, Anne and Andrew Keywood are not fans of the new signage Resident Anne Keywood did not think the changes were worthwhile. She said: "I think we should be using apostrophes. "If you start losing things like that then everything goes downhill doesn't it?" Her husband of 52 years, Andrew, said the signs should be put back to their original state - including an apostrophe. Ruby Wang, who works at a Japanese restaurant in the town, did not mind the changes. "To be honest with you, because I'm not from this country it doesn't matter because it's the same pronunciation," she added. Lady stood in front of old street signImage source, BBC / Naj Modak Image caption, Ruby Wang is ambivalent when it it comes to apostrophes Dr Ellie Rye, who is a lecturer in English language and linguistics at the University of York, said apostrophes were a relatively new invention in our writing. "In writing you could say they might disambiguate things that could be ambiguous, so they differentiate between two St Marys walking down the street arm in arm, and 'I live on St Mary's Walk' but in practice those two statements aren't really ambiguous. "If I say I live on St Mary's Walk, we're expecting a street name or an address of some kind." She added the change would matter to people who spend a long time teaching how we write English but that it was "less important in [verbal] communication." North Yorkshire Council said it "along with many others across the country" had opted to "eliminate" the apostrophe from street signs. A spokesperson added: "All punctuation will be considered but avoided where possible because street names and addresses, when stored in databases, must meet the standards set out in BS7666. "This restricts the use of punctuation marks and special characters (e.g. apostrophes, hyphens and ampersands) to avoid potential problems when searching the databases as these characters have specific meanings in computer systems." Presentational grey line Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. Related Topics * Harrogate More on this story * Do apostrophes still matter? + Published 9 December 2019 misuse of apostrophe Related Internet Links * North Yorkshire Council The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. From other local news sites * Channel 4 Steph's Packed Lunch star's final farewell as family and castmates pay tribute + External Yorkshire Post * New company supporting tech entrepreneurs in York is launched + External York Press * Firefighters called to fire in flat in North Yorkshire + External Malton Gazette and Herald * Listed building consent for French doors on Richmond property + External Northern Echo * Man charged with assault after Hartlepool street attack + External Northern Echo * North Yorkshire restaurant and wedding venue shortlisted for two awards + External Malton Gazette and Herald Information about BBC links to other news sites Top Stories * Israel says three soldiers killed by Hamas rockets at Gaza crossing + Published 2 hours ago * 'My children cling to me as dogs raid graves near our shelter' + Published 8 hours ago * Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air + Published 5 hours ago Features * North Korean weapons are killing Ukrainians. The implications are far bigger Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin * How Sadiq Khan won over London for the third time Sadiq Khan * Major defeat will worry UK Conservatives - polling expert Sir John Curtice * Why France is finding vegan croissants hard to stomach Croissants sit on a tray ready for sale at a bakery in Paris * Zeekill: From teenage cyber-thug to Europe's most wanted Juilius Kivimaki wanted poster * From likes to votes: How influencers are changing Indian politics Influencers * Eurovision 2024: Your guide to all 37 songs Olly Alexander * Is Zimbabwe zigzagging into further currency chaos? A child holding up one of the first Zig notes to go into circulation - Friday 3 May 2024 * Spaghetti measure? Dog toy? What is baffling Roman object found on a hill? Roman artefact Elsewhere on the BBC * Detective Davis Lindo is thrown in at the deep end With partner DCI Bartlett, can he impress, or will his approach leave him out in the cold? Granite Harbour * Charlotte Church explores her working class childhood Join the Welsh singing legend for honest, hilarious conversations with her Cardiffian family Kicking Back with the Cardaffians * Fancy a film night tonight? From comedy to thrillers, there's something for everyone on BBC iPlayer The Secret Life of Pets 2 * The man who continued fighting WW2 until 1974 Hiroo Onoda spent 30 years fighting in the jungle, believing the war was still going on Witness History Most Read 1. 1 Lord of the Rings actor Bernard Hill dies aged 79 2. 2 Al Jazeera office raided as Israel takes channel off air 3. 3 Israel says three soldiers killed by Hamas rockets at Gaza crossing 4. 4 From teenage cyber-thug to Europe's most wanted 5. 5 Man nailed to fence in 'sinister' Bushmills attack 6. 6 'My children cling to me as dogs raid graves near our shelter' 7. 7 Eurovision hopefuls put on the style in Malmo 8. 8 Tens of millions secretly use WhatsApp despite bans 9. 9 North Korean weapons are killing Ukrainians. The implications are far bigger 10. 10 Cubans lured to Russian army by high pay and passports BBC News Services * On your mobile * On smart speakers * Get news alerts * Contact BBC News * Home * News * Sport * Earth * Reel * Worklife * Travel * Culture * Future * Music * TV * Weather * Sounds * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Get Personalised Newsletters * Why you can trust the BBC * Advertise with us (c) 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. [p]