I UNDERSTAND Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch are to become a single authority in the future and a new name is sought for this.

The whole world has heard of Bournemouth, the university and the airport. The world knows the name Christchurch because of its namesake in New Zealand. The world knows not of Poole, however.

Whatever the authorities declare from their desks in Ivory Towers, the world will still call the three amalgamated towns “Bournemouth”. I suggest therefore the new designation should perhaps be “Wessex City (Bournemouth)” and after 10 years, say, drop the latter part. This would honour Thomas Hardy’s reuse of the old Saxon name Wessex.

We shall need a bishop of course – the C of E can see to that – and his seat I suggest should be the oldest ecclesiastical edifice of importance. Hence Christchurch Priory would become also Wessex City Cathedral.

RODGER RICE-BOWSHER, Hengist Road, Boscombe West