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moss wrote:
I think it was wrong, an easy stunt, probably predicated on Trinny and Susannah dressing The Long Man of Wilmington up as a woman. I had problems seeing what was wrong as it is only for a day but the word that kept coming to mind was disrespect for an ancient monument, even though the cause may be good the action was cheap and of course will lead to much more being done in similar vein in the future - no way.
The Long Man of Wilmington is managed by the Sussex Archaeological Group and they later apologised to the Druids for the stunt, who also complained, it was probably a valid response.
Health warnings can be put on television, radio and billboards, the few who will look at the poor old giant will just have a giggle, ....
I agree, the "medium" is wholly inappropriate.
Whilst it may be for a good cause how many people will it reach ? And how many will it upset ?
If they really want to get the message across then blaze it across Buckingham palace where there will be thousands of visitors per day, but no, that would be tacky wouldn't it.

I might take my protest up Silbury, or would that be wrong ?

harestonesdown wrote:
moss wrote:
... the word that kept coming to mind was disrespect for an ancient monument, even though the cause may be good the action was cheap and of course will lead to much more being done in similar vein in the future - no way.
I agree, the "medium" is wholly inappropriate.
Whilst it may be for a good cause how many people will it reach ? And how many will it upset ?
If they really want to get the message across then blaze it across Buckingham palace where there will be thousands of visitors per day, but no, that would be tacky wouldn't it.
Or Nelson's Column perhaps? A giant phallus in the centre of London would certainly grab people's attention and isn't "sacred" to anyone either.

I take the point made elsewhere in the thread that no (physical) damage is likely, which probably is sufficient on its own to distinguish this from anything relating to the climbing of a certain Wiltshire mound, regardless of the beliefs/politics/etc associated with that.

Having said that, I agree with you both, the issue is one of how ancient sites are perceived and if the perception is that it's okay to exploit them for advertising (no matter what the cause), it's likely to be the thin end of a nasty wedge.

harestonesdown wrote:
moss wrote:
I think it was wrong, an easy stunt, probably predicated on Trinny and Susannah dressing The Long Man of Wilmington up as a woman. I had problems seeing what was wrong as it is only for a day but the word that kept coming to mind was disrespect for an ancient monument, even though the cause may be good the action was cheap and of course will lead to much more being done in similar vein in the future - no way.
The Long Man of Wilmington is managed by the Sussex Archaeological Group and they later apologised to the Druids for the stunt, who also complained, it was probably a valid response.
Health warnings can be put on television, radio and billboards, the few who will look at the poor old giant will just have a giggle, ....
I agree, the "medium" is wholly inappropriate.
Whilst it may be for a good cause how many people will it reach ? And how many will it upset ?
If they really want to get the message across then blaze it across Buckingham palace where there will be thousands of visitors per day, but no, that would be tacky wouldn't it.

I might take my protest up Silbury, or would that be wrong ?

Why is the medium wholly inappropriate Geoff, its an ancient monument (though no-one knows how old). Perhaps its very existence was a joke in the first place - its appearance certainly startles even today. No commercial gain was made from this current exercise. As I said in my original post yesterday, I disagree in principle but am prepared to make an exception .... Your final question makes me shake my head and sigh (irony or not). I've known you for quite a long time via the now defunct Avebury Forum - for years, I've been patiently asking you not to climb Silbury, giving all the reasons why not.
I express an alternative view about a hill figure using a correct anatomical word and get subjected to an indirect tirade from the usual source. Perhaps certain people should save their mental energy for the battles that really matter - like protecting the unique and genuinely ancient Silbury.