It can even get a bit chilly in Hell

The pause in the Middle East conflict is very welcome although with the opposing elements both claiming a “great victory” it’s all a trifle confusing.

- Roger Crutchley

Prior to the ceasefire, we had witnessed increasingly belligerent exchanges from both sides containing sombre warnings that the opposing forces were destined to end up in “hell”. In fact the word “hell” was appearing so frequently it was in danger of losing its intended impact.

One wonders if the protagonists are aware that there is actually a small town in southern Michigan that is called Hell. Despite the name it tends to be on the cold side and nothing like the fiery images hell normally evokes.

In fact during an extreme cold snap in 2020, Hell was one of the US communities that was most seriously affected. The Sun newspaper in London even carried a full front-page photo of the snowbound community and could not resist coming up with the banner headline “Hell Freezes Over”.

Hell reportedly acquired its name in the 1840s when a founder was asked what he would like the town to be called and he responded, “I don’t know, you can name it Hell for all I care”. So they did just that. In a nice touch visitors are cheerfully greeted by the locals with “Welcome to Hell!”

There also used to be a Hell in the southern Californian desert, a small settlement which was founded in 1954. Unfortunately it lived up to its name and burnt down 10 years later.

Musical perdition

Over the years hell has made a significant impact in the music industry. Among pop songs concerning purgatory that spring to mind are Highway to Hell and Hell's Bells (AC/DC), Bat out of Hell (Meatloaf),