Birmingham and the West Midlands are known for having a rich industrial heritage, a vast canal network, and perhaps their crowning glory: an abundance of very peculiar street names.
Here are just a few of our favourites:
Billy Buns Lane, Wombourne, Wolverhampton
Tom Lennon
Google and Wikipedia have no idea who 'Billy Buns' was, so therefore neither do we. He does sound like someone who should have a comic strip in the Viz (perhaps with a gross comedy M.O. that rhymes with 'Buns').
Bumblehole Meadows, Wombourne, Wolverhampton
Tom Lennon
Bet you looked twice at this one, didn't you? Just down the road from Billy Buns Lane you'll find Bumblehole Meadows (fnarr fnarr), which – appropriately enough – sounds like just the sort of place our hypothetical Billy Buns might live.
Come to think of it, this would have made a fine addition to our list of the West Midlands' Sauciest Streets. Oh, the benefits of hindsight.
Brown's Green, Handsworth Wood, Birmingham
Tom Lennon
Do make your mind up, Handsworth Wood. You’re sending out mixed messages.
Cat and Kittens Lane, Featherstone, Wolverhampton
Tom Lennon
Property values on this street have risen sharply since the arrival of the internet. Coincidence? We think not.
Dingley Bells, West Bromwich
Tom Lennon
Just one letter away from being the perfect Christmas street. Or, two letters away from 'Dangly Balls'. We do not condone graffiti.
Long Nuke Road, Northfield, Birmingham
Tom Lennon
This street name will send a shiver down the spine of anyone old enough to remember Cold War paranoia and Frankie Says T-shirts.
Needless Alley, Birmingham City Centre
Tom Lennon
Birmingham's tribute to legendary broadcaster Alan Partridge, who famously ended every anecdote with the phrase 'needless to say, I had the last laugh.'
Spies Close, Quinton, Birmingham
Tom Lennon
Thanks for blowing their cover, Quinton. Next time, maybe leave the James Bond stuff to the other suburbs…
Whynot Street, Halesowen
Tom Lennon
Why not, street? Why not indeed?
Wiseacre Croft, Shirley, Solihull
Tom Lennon
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a wiseacre is a person with 'an affectation of wisdom or knowledge, regarded with scorn or irritation by others'.
Wiseacre Croft, then, is a polite way of saying 'Smartarse Street'.
World's End Lane, Quinton, Birmingham
Tom Lennon
Cheer up, mate, it’s not the end of the world (but this will apparently take you there).
Have we missed any nearby weird, odd or downright peculiar street names? Let us know.
In the meantime, why not take a look at some of the West Midlands most musical streets...