Jottings
News from the UK and around the World compiled by Dave Jamieson
. . . the wild, the wacky, the wonderful, the weird and the downright infuriating
Festive Failures
Greggs, the popular UK high street
baker, has apologised after replacing
baby Jesus with a sausage roll. Yes, really.
To promote its new advent calendar, the
bakery released publicity shots in which
the Three Wise Men are crowded round
the popular pastry in a classic nativity
scene. Some people took offense to the
campaign, pointing out that Jesus was
Jewish, and would have therefore almost
certainly not eaten sausage rolls which
include pork.
Meanwhile, British stationers W.H.
Smith have their own-brand advent
calendar on sale. Behind every window
is a “novelty eraser.” Hmmm. Who
needs 25 rubbers? (Don’t answer that.)
Scottish artist Jackie Charley discovered
last month that Facebook had prevented
her advertising three of her own-design
Christmas cards. Every time she tried to
upload them, she saw the error message,
“It looks like we didn’t approve your
item because we don’t allow the sale of
adult items or services.” The images
were of three woodland creatures: a stag,
a squirrel and a robin. But they fell foul
of Facebook’s automated monitoring
system for reasons which seem to be
inexplicable, but at least she has received
an apology. Just as well she didn’t
describe the last one as having a “red
breast.”
Council Capers
Islington Council in London has backed
26
down after a resident challenged a fine
he had been given for leaving his
rubbish out at the wrong time. He was
awarded a Fixed Penalty Notice for
leaving waste for recycling, “outside of
appropriate hours.” The street in which
he lives is designated for an evening
collection but the man, a lawyer, left his
outside just after midday. He was told he
was in breach of recycling policies
outline on the Council’s website but
pointed out that the site, “doesn’t say
remotely what they were claiming.”
Branding the saga a “farce, he added,
“The fine failed totally to mention my
right to appeal,” and that the website
continues refer to a failure to observe
“appropriate hours” as a criminal