Advertiser Chuckle Square petition passes 1,000-name mark

The Advertiser has called for the public space outside Boots in Rotherham town centre to be named in honour of the Chuckle Brothers.

There has been a hugely positive response to the idea, which comes after the death of older brother Barry in August and the hundreds of tributes which followed.

The Advertiser understands that Rotherham Borough Council is open to giving the square a name - and we have stepped up with our suggestion.

Paul ‘Chuckle’ Elliott said: “I am thrilled that people like the idea of Chuckle Square.

“I keep meeting people who say that they would love to visit the square and have a selfie taken standing in front of the sign.”

Advertiser editor Andrew Mosley said: “The reaction from readers will go some way in showing the council how strongly people have welcomed this idea.

“We’re delighted by the response and hope to see more people add their names to the growing list in the coming weeks.”

Former Oakwood teacher Mick Bower said: “From Sandy Powell to Paul Shane and the Chuckles, Rotherham has been famous for producing funny people.

“Chuckle Square would be a tribute to them and the good humour of the people here.”

Social media has helped to spread the word across the country and Mark Megicks, of Kingussie in the Scottish Highlands, said: “They were comedy for a generation and deserve to be remembered.”

Jason Drabble signed the petition and left a comment saying: “The Chuckle Brothers are legends of Rotherham and deserve to be recognised.”

And Pamela Walker added: “My children saw them in panto and they were fantastic. Let’s carry on the happiness! The world needs a reminder, sometimes, to smile.”

You can back our call by signing our online petition here. Join the conversation by emailing [email protected] or by using #ChuckleSquare on Twitter.

We will pass on the full list of names to RMBC in October.