Paper’s yodeller jib is a ‘danger’ to Batley
Page 25 from the Mirror, Saturday August 11, showing Simon Cowell's thought bubble about the toothless yodellers of Batley.
A STORY in a national newspaper poking fun at Batley could prove dangerous for the town’s identity.
That’s according to people who are working hard to boost local spirit.
Saturday’s Mirror ran an article about music mogul Simon Cowell relaxing on a hired yacht. The story is accompanied by a picture, which the paper has played with to include a thought bubble coming from his head.
The bubble reads: “Just think, I could be sat with Louis [Walsh], listening to a toothless yodeller from Batley.. life’s good sometimes.”
Mark Griffin, who is behind Batley Festival, said: “The danger is, especially with towns like Batley, if an identity is taken away from a town, other people can then use it for ridicule.
“I suppose the Mirror could have been a little bit more thoughtful about why they ran with that quote.”
Mr Griffin, who also heads up the Batley Smile project, joked he could try to get the journalist who wrote the article to open the festival, which takes place next month.
“Maybe the Mirror should sponsor it,” he added.
“It obviously needs to learn a bit more about the town.”
Mr Griffin said national newspapers should instead be celebrating Batley, which was like a one-of-a-kind town.
He said: “I don’t think there are many places in the country with the vibrancy we have here, and that’s because of the mixture of culture in Batley.”
But taking the positives from the Mirror’s bit of fun with the international talent spotter, Mr Griffin said it could help make people more aware of the town, which he likened to the once ridiculed car brand Skoda.
“To me, Batley needs the Skoda treatment,” he said. “That’s how I look at Batley Smile.”
Batley Festival takes place on September 29, when all the good things happening in the town will be celebrated.
“We may even find that toothless yodeller,” Mr Griffin said.
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Weather for Batley
Tuesday 21 May 2013
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Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
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