Crokodile Tears – Momus Boulevard

 

Crokodile Tears – Momus Boulevard

by Pete Clemons

Starting on Momus Boulevard and then turning into Bromleigh Drive then onto Sapphire Gate, Briars Close, Wyver Crescent, Anthony Way, some more of Momus, then across the Binley Road, Copsewood Terrace (another stretch of parallel road), Brindle Avenue, Bourne Road, First Avenue, Second Avenue, GEC Grange, GEC Lodge and then back across to Owens Newsagents on the junction of Momus, Swinburne and Lord Lytton Avenue. The route, detailed, has just accounted for my newspaper round of fifty odd years ago.

With regard to that delivery round a lot has changed, in terms of the geography, over time. This being, in the main, when it comes to the old GEC/GPT/Marconi factory site. That area has since become a housing estate. As such the landscape of the old manufacturing area has changed considerably. Apart from that, the majority remains incredibly similar. Particularly the strangely named Momus Boulevard.

And Momus Boulevard has recently become immortalised in song by Coventry band Crokodile Tears. Apparently, it seems, it rains hard in Momus Boulevard but the weather is more pleasant, just around the corner in Wyver Crescent. The song, which is available as a single and will be included on the bands forthcoming album 'Hoi Polloi', contains a lot of writer Christopher Sidwell's trademark wit and humour.

But hearing the song had me wondering where this strangely named road, called Momus Boulevard, actually got its name from. Something I had never really thought about during all the times I once cycled up, down and around it delivering newspapers.

So I asked my elder brother who is so much more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to local history. He replied 'I have a book of Coventry road names which I hoped would give the answer to the meaning of Momus Boulevard, but no it wasn’t included. My best guess would be ‘The Avenue of a Greek God’, but it’s only a guess'. And, as it turns out, on further investigation, he wasn't that far out.

Momus, as it happens, was a figure mentioned in Greek Mythology. Apparently, and quite fitting when it comes to Christopher's music, Momus is the personification of satire and mockery. Apparently Momus was a sharp tongued critic. And, as such, he was used by scribes as a mouthpiece for the criticism of tyranny and contemporary society. But generally he became the figure of harmless fun.

When Momus's fame, or infamy, had spread to Europe his personality had been softened. He had become more light hearted. The equivalent of a French Harlequin. He became the patron of humorous satire, similar to the figures of comedy and tragedy. Through the use of humour, Momus had effectively become as recognisable as 'The Fool' in packs of playing cards.

In truth, though, I have no idea how Momus Boulevard came to arrive at its name. But I cant help but think that this oddly named stretch of housing, that runs parallel to the Binley Road, was named by a councillor, with an enormous sense of humour, and who was responsible for assigning these things.

Crokodile Tears latest single, that also includes a non album track called 'Indian Summer' – another song with potential lyrics carrying a double entendre, is available now.