It may be timely to remind new readers that one of the reasons for the general negativity of tone of our blog pages is because there is sadly a lot to be negative about in Boston.
The latest disappointment to come our way was to learn that "hard hitting" posters are to be slathered over empty shop windows around the town (of which there are many) to warn of the dangers of the demon drink.
Boston used to be regarded as a town with a drink problem, but we thought that this particular spirit had now been laid to rest, and that we only had obesity as our main health issue to overcome.
But now we are to be treated to graphic poster scenes showing a family of four in in angry confrontation in their bottle-strewn kitchen as part of the "Truth May Hurt" campaign funded by NHS Lincolnshire and organised by Lincolnshire Drug and Alcohol Service.
Preaching your message in this way sounds all very well, and we have no doubt that drink problems do exist in Boston.
But there is also the problem that in the recession, many shops go to the wall, and their windows are left unappealingly empty.
Whilst it is a great chance for the nanny state to slap up a few "hard hitting" posters and get loads of free advertising, it is also sending a wrong message about the town where these posters are displayed.
Loads of empty windows equal loads of posters on display - and this equals visitors to the Boston town centre getting the impression that we are a load of feckless drunks who put the bottle before the baby.
We are sure that the problem is not as bad as this, and it is a bad thing to create a bad image where none exists.
In other towns where recession has left windows blank and bland, enterprising councils and businesses have posted large attractive poster displays - with sometimes even a single illustration taking up an entire window.
The result is attractive, appealing, encouraging and image-enhancing.
Why do we want to depict ourselves as an offshoot of Hogarth's Gin Alley or Beer Lane?
We wish that the do-gooders would think more carefully about the potential of their actions before they reach for the poster brush and glue.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be published anonymously if requested.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment