Sunday, 23 December 2007

Eh?

Banbury is a town in the South East or possibly the Midlands. It is situated at the northern tip of Oxfordshire, near the border with Northamptonshire. In no way could the town of Banbury be construed as being in, or even in the vicinity of, Wales. That last sentence may seem extraneous, but then you probably haven't been to Banbury recently and seen this advert on a phone box:


For those who can't (or can't be arsed) to make out the text on my blurry camera-phone image, this is an advert for the Welsh consumer advice centre. Were this an isolated incident, I could perhaps believe that there had been an error at the phone box advert distribution centre, and somewhere in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch there would be a teleffon booth extolling the virtues of Banbury's vibrant shopping centre, but does this look like an isolated incident to you?
No, it doesn't. Two adverts in Banbury town centre, and I can't rule out the possibility of others. I can only assume, therefore, that there has been a concerted effort by the advertising department of the Welsh consumer advice centre to reach the people of Banbury.
Why?! I am genuinely interested in this. Do the Welsh exit the valleys each year and travel en masse to Banbury for their Christmas shopping, only to later be disappointed by the shoddy English craftsmanship of the presents, and hence are in need of a sympathetic, Wales-based organisation to deal with such complaints? Or is it the other way around? Do Banbury folk take a trip to Cardiff in search of better deals and more variety, only to get their fingers burnt by knock-off electrical goods, and need a Welsh person at which to shout over the phone? If it's the latter, it seems odd that the Welsh have bothered to set up such a service, let alone advertise it so widely, but then I'm confused by the whole situation so I won't rule anything out just yet. Answers on a postcard.

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