Peterborough and Northampton Croquet Clubs battle it out at Central Park, Peterborough
Credit: Adam Hughes / SWNS
A centuries-old battle over how to pronounce a river name was decided by a game of croquet on Sunday.
The River Nene originates in Northamptonshire and runs for 100 miles through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk before flowing into The Wash.
But for generations there has been controversy over the way it is pronounced – locals in Northampton say Nen while 40 miles away in Peterborough they say Neen .
When a long-awaited local croquet derby was planned, the two sides decided to up the stakes by making it a decider on the pronunciation.
Submitting.
As a result Northampton, take home the trophy, a picture of the sun setting over the Nene, and for one year at least it will be sunset on the name Neen.
Paul Hetherington, Peterborough Club Secretary, said. “This local challenge was a great way to celebrate a new season of croquet and a chance to forge new friendships along the river. Peterborough needs you to join our Club and ensure that next year we can win back naming rights to the river.
Paul Chard, Northampton Club Chairman responded. “Our team pulled out all the stops to win the match and then the two teams mingled in friendly competition. It was a great day with fine weather. I would urge people to join the winners by becoming members of Northampton Croquet Club”
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image captionNorthampton club chairman, Paul Chard, said he wants more people to join so they can retain the title of the River Nen for life
A croquet match has been used in an attempt to settle a dispute between two counties over the pronunciation of a river name.
In Northamptonshire, the 90-mile (150km) River Nene is known as the Nen . Over the Cambridgeshire border, it is pronounced Neen .
Northampton and Peterborough croquet clubs battled it out on Sunday, with the winner deciding the pronunciation.
Northampton won 7-2 and so both clubs will now use the Nen pronunciation.
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The origin of the Nene - the UK s 10th longest river - is unknown, but its name has changed over the years, having been known as Nenn or Nyn over the years.
The first side to win five games in Sunday s match will claim the right for the river to be pronounced their way.
Paul Hetherington, 56, Peterborough club secretary, said: The dispute has been going on a long, long time, it must be centuries-old. I ve always been interested in the pronunciation because the towns are only 40 miles apart and we are just downstream of Northampton.
The River Nene originates in Northamptonshire and runs through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk