At the time of this campaign I was working for a market research firm. We were tasked with engaging with divers who were pulled into a layby by police officers. While asking them how many miles they were expecting to travel, how often they drove and other such mundane questions, we observed if they and any passengers were wearing a seat belt. We returned, I think a month later, to do exactly the same exercise. Between these two sessions the Jimmy Saville ( yes I know!) campaign had hit the TV. This had followed other campaigns with Shawn Taylor, but it was considered that the saying "Clunk Click Every Trip" might be super catchy. Indeed it was, and in the second session we noted many more people wearing seat belts. Over the next year it was demonstrable the decrease in deaths and serious injuries from collisions and this was attributed to the campaign. If you wonder why I have suddenly thought of this it is the number of people on the TV shouting about having to wear a face mask, how uncomfortable they are and that it is an infringement of personal liberty. Sometime after the CC campaign the wearing of seat belts became compulsory and people were then saying they weren't going to wear them because they were uncomfortable and it was an infringement of their personal liberty blah blah blah ... just saying!
Back to the smallholding and my luffas!. Oh my have they grown. I am SO excited about them. I have now stopped the two plants in the greenhouse and they have 6 luffas each. I have been showing them to everybody I can and most have been impressed. Several have said they are going to have a go next year. Here they are. All I have to do now is try to get them to ripen. I guess that might be the most difficult part.
All for now, a few more photos to load and will be back soon
Look after yourselves out there
Gillx
I just wish the mask wearing had happened earlier. I'm a firm believer that this is a way of protecting ourselves. Unfortunately you'll always get those who won't or can't but they are risking their lives just as in not wearing a seat belt.
ReplyDeleteI would not be surprised if those refusing to wear facemasks today are the older versions of those who would not wear seat belts!
DeleteWe are currently in France where mask wearing is compulsory in many places and compliance is very high. So high that non wearers stand out and I have been given black looks and felt very awkward on the few occasions early on that I forgot.
ReplyDeleteI remember the seat belt campaign and in particular a poster of a young woman with stitches and bruises on her face. The caption was "I didn't wear a seat belt because I didn't want to get my dress creased".
Maybe there should be posters of the technique used to insert a ventilator tube with the caption "I didn't wear a mask because they are uncomfortable". Somehow these days I don't think even that would work on some people. After all, the ghastly images on cigarette packs doesn't stop them smoking.
You'd make a great marketing manager, honestly! You've hit the nail on the head. A tube inserted is extremely uncomfortable compared to a face mask.
DeleteI remember that it was thought that pregnant women shouldn't have to wear them because of the discomfort.Can you imagine a woman refusing to wear one today on those grounds. Women I know who are/ were pregnant have been extra vigilant in wearing them to ensure the safety of themselves and their precious cargo.
DeleteYour greenhouse looks like the Quatermass experiment.
ReplyDeleteAh! Never thought of Quatermass, though I swear I hear cries of "Feed me Seymour" on occasions. I had forgotten Quatermnass. I remember when it first came out and watching it on our black and white 6" Bush from behind the sofa. It was VERY scary!
DeleteI have greenhouse envy, the loofah plants look lush. I remember the campaign, and the moaning. I started making masks very early on and stopped counting after 150. I wear one on the odd occasion that i am out of the village and carry one when dog walking. There are still those who will try to push past regardless, or worse turn to speak to you when inches away. All my family in England have some, even the children, and none are boring black or white. Yes they make me warm but that is better than the alternative outcome could be.
ReplyDeleteI love my greenhouse, which is doing well this year. I have made masks for our friends and family too. I was going to join our local scrubs making circle, but time and the bees took over, so I encouraged our civic society into making a donation to buy metres of the correct scrubs material instead.
DeleteWe are hoping to get our greenhouse in before winter hits. We need to extend our growing season here! Yours looks wonderful. I would never thought to grow loofahs though. That is pretty neat!
ReplyDelete