London (TAN): United Kingdom-based Virgin Trains has named a train after Lady Godiva, one of Coventry’s most iconic personalities.
The naming was part of celebrations of Coventry, a city in central England, becoming United Kingdom’s City of Culture for 2021.
Lady Godiva, also known as the Countess of Mercia, was an eleventh century English noblewoman who, according to a legend, rode naked, covered only in her long hair, through the streets of Coventry in order to obtain a reduction of taxes that her husband, the Lord of Coventry, had imposed on the citizens.
The Lady Godiva Express was recently flagged off following a ceremony at London Euston station. The guests included Coventry mayor John Blundell and media personality Lorna Bailey.
[ALSO READ: Check out this American B&B where people come for the music]
“Virgin Trains has been proud to serve Coventry for the past 21 years and it’s fitting that we are naming one of our trains after one of the city’s most famous daughters,” General Manager for the Virgin Trains in the West Midlands Amanda Hines said.
“We’re delighted to be flying the flag for Coventry. Lady Godiva will clock up over 300k miles in the next 12 months and be seen the length and breadth of the West Coast route from Liverpool to London, Birmingham to Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and of course Coventry,” she added.
The Virgin Pendolino train donned the city’s first official flag, selected at a contest run by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire. It also had an impression of Lady Godiva, flanked by two blocks of sky blue on either side, representing the Coventry City Football Club.
Gareth Roberts, editor of BBC Coventry and Warwickshire said: “Last year in the build up to City of Culture we launched our Coventry flag competition as part of what is going to be a long-lasting legacy for the city.”
“We’re very proud that this flag will take pride of place on the front of a Virgin Train’s Pendolino which will be seen by so many. This is just one of the many things we are doing to mark this special occasion and we are excited to show the rest of the UK what our city has to offer,” he added.
[ALSO READ: Air India delays flight for elderly passenger, earns appreciation]
Cabinet Member for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council Jim O’Boyle said “it’s great to see a train that will be visible up and down the country named after” an icon like Lady Godiva.
“I’d like to thank BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and Virgin Trains for organising and helping to promote Coventry,” he added.
