I am from Nottingham …
Robin Hood
Lace
Brian Clough and Nottingham Forest
Paul Smith
Boots The Chemists
Goose Fair
Coal
At least that’s what it was famous for – now if you ask people about the place, they either shrug their shoulders or talk about the fact it’s the most dangerous city in Europe [per capita] or the global centre for ‘Credit Reference’ companies.
It breaks my heart because when I was a kid, I thought I was incredibly lucky growing up in Nottingham
There were loads of reasons for this – many I’ve listed above – however there was something about the fact Nottingham was [and still is for that matter, ha!] located in the ‘middle’ of the country that seemed extra important.
You see to me, it meant I was in a region that had the drive of the ‘South’ but with the common sense of the ‘North’ – the best of both Worlds as it were – and while that was obviously bollocks, as a young, impressionable kid trying to define who I was / where I came from, it gave me a sense of confidence, excitement and optimism.
Now it’s all gone wrong.
The local council are more bothered about their image than what’s going on around them … the crime rate is the envy of every Columbian Drug Lord and local industry now resembles the Sahara Dessert – however it was an article in The Guardian newspaper that really brought home to me how far Nottingham had fallen because it focused on a company that as a kid, made me feel truly proud of my city, Raleigh Bikes.
Raleigh Bikes were the equivalent of Aston Martin’s for adult men.
Handbuilt … World famous … Award winning … Desirable … Big range …
However the big two were the Raleigh Chopper and the Raleigh Grifter … the Harley Davidson’s of kids bikes.
I got a bright red Grifter for Christmas and I can honestly say I loved it more than any single thing I had ever received previously [or since] from Santa.
When I first clapped eyes on it, I literally went into shock … I was so excited … couldn’t believe I had one, not just in front of my eyes, but actually in my house.
It was a beast of a bike … big, heavy and tough … and it gave you instant cred because like a Range Rover intimidates a Ford Mondeo, a Grifter made other bikes look like they were constructed from paper.
Infact my ‘claim-to-street-fame’ was that I could pull a wheelie that lasted 76 paving slabs … and when your bike weighs the equivalent of a Boeing 747, that was something to be proud of, ha!
Anyway that bike was my pride and joy for about 6 years and the only reason I sold it was because I started racing BMX’s – actually for Raleigh – however while my life and fashions have changed beyond almost all recognition in the intervening years, that Grifter will always have a piece of my heart and that is why when I see what is happening to Raleigh, it feels like I’m witnessing a family member slowly destruct infront of my eyes and I’m powerless to help.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my country and I especially love my city – but where it’s heading is not right and if the powers-that-be continue to ignore the issues that lie outside of the ‘glory cities’, then not only are they guilty of destroying the inherent potential of a great and proud nation, but they are also guilty of destroying the optimism that people need to make greater things happen – optimism that can benefit the World, not just the individual.
If ever there was a chance for a brand to become political and help communities whilst helping themselves, it’s now.
I’ve written about this so much in the past and to a certain degree, Tesco’s have proved it can – however given the Government seem obsessed with focusing on the ‘have’s’ rather than the ‘have not’s’, I believe fundamental change will only happen if a brand takes the lead and basically ‘shames’ the Government into action which is why I’ll be talking to a certain client of mine in the hope I can convince them to take on another establishment.
Before I go, I’d just like to say that I am not promoting communism.
Sure it would counteract the major problem with democracy – which is that people end up voting for what is in their best interests rather than the countries as a whole – however democracy is a fantastic system that people died for – what I’m talking about is an investment in nationwide humanity, because everyone deserves the chance to shine and by encouraging brands to adopt a socialistic commercial strategy, I believe they can help the country, themselves and their shareholders, which is surely the ultimate achievement for any organisation?
No doubt this post will have people call me naive or just plain stupid – but when I see more and more cities going the way of Nottingham, I can’t help but feel the truly stupid ones are the people who do the same thing over and over again and somehow expect a different result.
Maybe if Parliament moved to a different city each year things would change?