SIR. I was delighted to read the response to my letter (published in Nov 7-13 edition) from Councillors Philip Beddows and Tony Belton.

I wish to make it clear that I'm proud to come from Battersea, and I do feel there is a need to raise public awareness that the Clapham Junction area IS in Battersea.

At the risk of being pelted with tomatoes, I think the fading of the Battersea name was really started more than 20 years ago with our huge influx of estate agents (not all guilty!) who thought Clapham was more fashionable and were happy to let buyers believe their properties were in this trendy area when in fact they were in Battersea.

This deceit still goes on today and has affected the identity of the area. However, the original suggestion of changing the station's name to Battersea Junction just isn't feasible, given that Clapham Junction is so well known, not just in this country, but abroad as well.

"Clapham" has to stay in the name so as to avoid confusion for decades to come. However, the suggestion by the councillors of "Clapham Junction, Battersea" is the most sensible to date and one that I would wholeheartedly support.

It might also be a good idea to collate local history information so that both state and independent schools in the SW11 area have easy access to it.

Battersea does have some interesting history that many are unaware of - eg that Wandsworth Common was once owned by the late Princess Diana's family, the Spencers, which is why the name Spencer is so commonly used in the area. I could go on.

Yes, dear councillors, I will be happy to join your campaign to restore pride in the name of Battersea, as long as our station can keep its famous name.

Helen Martin-Rolls
John Archer Way
SW18