Nine things you may not know about Wetherby

Wetherby’s among the raft of additions to the growing rank of locations where O2 4G is now available. So we thought this might be a great time to brush up on our knowledge – here are some facts about our latest 4G debutant…

1.    According to archaeological finds, Wetherby’s been a human settlement since the Neolithic era at least. That’s about 6000 years ago in 4000 BC. Oldschool.

2.   It hasn’t always been called Wetherby. In the Domesday Book of 1086, it was mentioned as Wedrebi and later, in the 13th century, it was called Werreby.

3.   As the midway point between London and Edinburgh (both of which also have O2 4G, btw), Wetherby’s a long-established and popular stop-off point on the Great North Road. In case you were wondering, it’s 198 miles from Wetherby to both cities.

4.   Wetherby Bridge was built in the 13^th century. Today, it’s a scheduled ancient monument. That means it’s kind of a big deal.

5.   Not many towns have a BAFTA-nominated movie named after them, but  Wetherby does. Set in its namesake town, the gritty film stars Dame Judi Dench, Joely Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave, to name but a few.

6. Wetherby’s also provided literary inspiration, providing the setting for Anne Keary’s novel, Oldbury.

7.   If you’ve had gravy on a Sunday roast, you’ve probably had gravy from Wetherby. Goldenfry Foods began as a fish and chip shop in the market town – it now supplies own-brand gravy to supermarkets across the country, as well as making its own products. Ahhh… oh, no, wait.

8.   For a small Yorkshire town, Wetherby’s not short on talent. In the Battle of Britain, there was a legendary flying ace called Ginger Lacey – he was a Wetherby lad. Cricketers Charles Midgley and Fred Cooper also hail from the town, as do footballers Seb Hines and Stuart Naylor. Skins’ Sam Jackson and Corrie’s Jessica Barden are also Wetherbeans (we just made that word up).

9.   Michael Jackson is from Wetherby. Seriously. Okay, not *that* Michael Jackson – we’re talking about The Beer Hunter, who hosted the Channel 4 documentary of the same name.

Got a fact about Wetherby? Know something you want to share with the world about any of our 4G locations? Let us know in the comments.