Pie in the Sky

One of the joys of being a newspaper cartoonist in a National Park is knowing that the National Park Authority is going to provide me with material at regular intervals.

The Lake District is currently on its third bid for World Heritage status. It’s been turned down twice before. But that hasn’t prevented some blue sky thinking on what we’re going to do if we DO get it. Literally blue sky. Cable cars, for instance. A cable car spanning the lake and Claife between Bowness and Hawkshead will effortlessly whisk visitors to Beatrix Potter Land. Another to connecting Bowness and Windermere villages will sweep hordes of wheely-suitcases between the railway station and the lake front.

As you can imagine, the suggestion did not meet with universal approval. “Pie in the sky,” said a Tory councillor, leading to a rumour that the cable car is going to have catering. The National Park consultant claims the idea has “wow” factor.

What do you think?

Below are my cartoon sketches submitted to The Westmorland Gazette. The color version is the editor’s choice but which would you have gone for? Are cable cars in the Lake District a fun idea or or just blowing in the wind? Add your comments below.

Taking the Jeremy

The Lake District National Park is up for World Heritage designation again. This has happened a couple of times in the past and always been turned down. The reasons vary from too much man-made alteration to the landscape, too many tourists, too many pigeons, etc.

This time round, the attempt to get the Lakes listed alongside the Great Wall of China has attracted a couple of notable commentators.

George Monbiot, famous deep-green columnist and CO2 generator for the Guardian newspaper, described the Lakes as a depressing place with a sheep-wrecked landscape. No vegetation will grow within jaw-range of these woolly locals, so its no surprise that the fells are stripped of interesting plants and trees.

The second comment came from noted environmentalist Jeremy Clarkson. In his opinions column in the Times, he berated the Lakes, describing it as full of bobble-hatted walkers with wizened knees. The knees are probably true but bobble hats haven't been seen on the fells since the days of the Ford Zephyr. Jeremy should pop up and do some bobble research.

The story made the front page of the bumper Westmorland Gazette and so, inevitably, was the subject of the cartoon. How could any self-respecting cartoonist resist?

Below are the ideas I submitted to my steamed editor. Which would you have picked? Put your comments below and then burn rubber to my website to see if you are correct.