Blinkered Lives

If your reading this then this blog definitely isnt describing you but if you know someone who fits the description please give them a nudge in the right direction?

Ever since the day of the first Festival in 1999 when I was walking down the main street with a reporter friend and the group of people in front of us said, 'lets head down to the harbour, it looks like theres something on' despite massive pre publicity, Ive known there are small groups of people for whom news comes only in the form of gossip rather than intent to learn. This year however it would seem like that original group have bred like catholics (yes, before anyone takes offence, Im catholic and yes we do breed well) because the week before each event so far Ive had to deal, often, face to face with groups of indignant folk who say they had no idea any events were planned. Theres also a large number of folk who seem oblivious to last years big news that the festival is over. I had one charming discussion with a lady who was quite indignant that she had missed the WW1 Parade. I told her it was in the Whitehaven News on several occasions but she doesnt read that, I also told her it was on BBC radio and CFM but she didnt listen to that rubbish (her words) and when I told her it had been promoted extensively on social media, she doesnt do that. When very exasperated I said I didnt know where she lived, she nearly blew up saying 'why do you want my address?', Why to pop round and tell you personally when we have things on to which she replied, now your just being funny and walked off!

Surely its impossible to be so isolated in life that you know absolutely nothing and yet so ignorant and insular that you genuinely believe its someone elses fault. Ive looked extensively in Estate Agents windows on Lowther street this week to see if theres a rush on Hermits Caves in the area but no, just normal houses in normal areas where people still talk to each other.

One person on Facebook had a pop and when I explained that we had covered every media angle there was, including several that werent invented when I started all this off in 1998, he said rather angrily, 'Its not my fault if your chosen methods of promotion didnt reach me'! Question: Whose fault is it then? Its absolutely fine by me if people want to drop out of the local news circles altogether but how dare any of them come into our shop and blame myself, Lou or Nadia. I call on all news hermits to accept their own issues with local news and take responsibility for their own failure to be socially aware of activities in their own town, especially when events such as the parade and the Home and Garden show attracted people from over 200 miles away.

That brings me to another question. Is this just a local thing in which case do we all need to be worried that it could go viral? Can you imagine a virus that makes one ignorant of life around oneself while also making us blame others in the process?

Its certainly a growing phenomena, as is the inability of many to read beyond the first two lines of a story. We took a call early this year from a school wanting to book for the dinosaur exhibition and the caller was quite annoyed when told that the exhibition was a three month one in 2011!

Anyway, if you know anyone who suffers from these problems, and, as no one has lain claim to a cure, may I jump in and suggest you get them to pop into my shop to purchase rather than to moan and then invite their neighbours around for a glass at least once a month to pick their brains. Alternately, just buy the Whitehaven News and here endeth the longest advert for that newspaper ever!

I need wine, a big glass actually

toodle pip for now