In the Manawatu region of the North Island is a lov-a-bull town named Bulls. No bull, it really is! What I love about this place is that the town folk have taken its name and run with it. Running with Bulls… get it?
James Bull, an English settler and carpenter, was responsible for some of the towns’ historical infrastructure such as the Courthouse. He was also an entrepreneur who started the first general store, owned extensive amounts of land and operated several businesses. Due to his involvement in developing a thriving rural village, in 1872 the town was renamed Bulls.
Although Bulls has a number of cool antique and craft shops, it is most note-a-bull for the clever renaming of the facilities and businesses. We walked around for a good couple of hours checking out the names. Need a police officer? Look for a Const-a-Bull. Looking for the toilet? It’s signed Reliev-a-Bull. Feeling ill? Get to the Cure-a-Bull Medical Centre. Of course we all need to visit the Bank-a-Bull for some money. It’s admir-a-bull how the people have made this unusual name work throughout the town.
My mind is now addled with the amount of times I’ve just typed Bull – 23 to be exact, including the title.
