Place-names have a lasting interest since there is hardly a town or village in all England that has not at some time given its name to a family.

In fact, over fifty per cent of genuine British surnames derive from place names of different kinds, and so they belong to the last of our four main categories.

Summer homes, European travel, BMWs — the locations, place names and name brands may change, but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago.