Tuesday 29 May 2012

Tweeting the twaffic

Let me take you by the hand to the Auld Grey Town - the little market metropolis of Kendal which nestles (as all rural towns do, according to the media) on the edge of the Lake District.

It is a place of castles (it had two), traditional architecture and quaint, gated yards (built to keep out the naughty Scots in times gone by). It is the home of Catherine Parr, The Blessed Wainwright, Kendal Mint Cake and a variety of exciting festivals throughout the year.

It is also the home to far too many cars. So much so that some streets - including Lowther Street - are a veritable porridge of pollution.

Much has been done to try and alleviate this problem. A few years ago, Kendal Department of Pointless Fiddling rearranged the traffic system, hoping to confuse motorists to such a degree they would all go somewhere else instead.

That didn't work so now they have come up with another plan. One which is bold, innovative and, above all, fearlessly trendy. They are going to use social media.

Yes, coming to a smartphone near you, messages on Twitter and Facebook, urging motorists to leave their cars at home and visit Kendal by foot or public transport.

I imagine it will go brilliantly and can see nothing wrong with the plan whatsoever.

Here are my cartoon sketches about it for last week's Westmorland Gazette. To find out which one made its way - by foot - onto the front page of the newspaper, cycle to my website now.





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