Allen Togwell's Marketing Place
Page 14
Call Sign December 2011
M
any years ago when I was at
Is it any wonder then that we see children
school, our teacher at the start of a
leaving school in the UK in search of work who
lesson that he knew many of the
are being pushed to the back of the queue by
scruffy herberts in the class found
young people from Eastern Europe, Asia and
boring, to get our attention he would start with
China who believe it or not, can read, write and
a totally different subject such as football or sex
speak English better than 30% of children born
(biology for idiots) and it nearly always
in this country! And the simple reason for this
worked. If it didn't, we would get a whack on
is because our parents and grandparents have
the back of our head with an old slipper. In
not encouraged their children to take an inter-
later years, I've often used that ploy myself to
est in reading books, but preferred instead to
get DaC members attention when writing arti-
shower them with electronic gadgets, PCs,
cles in Call Sign. But instead of football or sex,
mobiles, iPods or whatever and allow children
I find writing something contentious often does
as young as 7/8 onto Facebook so they can
the trick.
communicate with their friends in a language
that to me looks like a cross between the enig-
Taxi v Call Sign!
ma code and Chinese.
I hope I now have your attention. With regards
What chance then will those young people
the irate member, even though it didn't concern
In this instance it relates to reading matter. I
have of filling in a simple job application form?
me I still find it odd how certain people put
know I've mentioned this subject before, in fact
I mention this now because Christmas will soon
their grievances into print, yet totally ignore the
not that long ago, but two events recently
be upon us and with it the usual list of gifts
damage done to their argument by not taking
prompted me to raise it again. The first con-
from the Argos catalogue that can burn a hole
care over the grammar or spelling. Grammar is
cerns an email sent to me by an irate DaC
deep into your pockets. You have the ideal
not really a big issue, particularly in this
member slagging me off for an issue that didn't
opportunity to break with tradition, save your-
instance as every other word was effing and
involve me at all. He sent it to the wrong per-
self money and do your children, grandchil-
everything was in lower case, but spelling cer-
son! The second event was a campaign under-
dren, nephews and nieces a valuable service in
tainly is.
taken by the Evening Standard. As you all
the process by supporting the Evening
So what has this got to do with the Evening
know, I do two days a week in the office and
Standard campaign to `Get London Reading' by
Standard? The answer to that is on the very day
as I arrive at DaC House around 07:30, I have
buying book vouchers as Christmas and birth-
I received the somewhat abusive missive, came
to use the driver's entrance and by doing so I'm
day gifts. In addition, of course, you can even
news of a campaign the ES was running on Get
able to collect the latest copy of Taxi - you all
help yourselves if you are amongst the thou-
London Reading. There are apparently 1.1 mil-
know that trade paper as it says at the top more
sands of adults who suffer from dyslexia, by
lion adults in England with a reading age lower
readers than the rest put together, adding in
taking up reading as a hobby.
than that of a typical 7-year-old. For them, read-
bold quotation marks: Ask any driver. And as
ing road signs, taking in the instructions on a
that's you, who am I to argue? In fact if I was
Olympics and home
medicine bottle or simply writing their name is
to argue about something that is read more
Some of you may know I live in Blackheath
a hardship. Many try to hide their lack of abili-
than any other, I guess I could say the same
near Greenwich Park where the 2012 Olympics
ty even from partners or children, often claim-
about Yellow Pages! If you like trivia, I could
committee morons have decided to stage the
ing to have forgotten non-existent glasses.
say it was first produced in 1886, is printed in
When those whose literacy is so poor they
Equestrian event. Those of you who travel
75 countries and read by billions! Big deal!
could not keep up with an average 11year-old
through Greenwich to work will know that
But there lies the anomaly, because like
are taken into account, the number rises to 5.2
rarely a week goes by when the area isn't grid-
Taxi, for what purpose is Yellow Pages read?
million, or almost one in six of all 16 to 65year-
locked due to a blockage in the Blackwall
Not I would think for enjoyment. On the day in
olds.
Tunnel. I dread to think what it will be like dur-
question, I'd picked up a copy of Taxi at the
Those of you who follow Rugby Union will
ing the Olympic Games. The road I live in is
same time as a copy of Call Sign had landed
know of Scott Quinnell. By the time he was
free parking. This is soon to change and what
on my desk, so I put them both in my briefcase
32 and had hung up his boots, Scott Quinnell
is also soon to change are parking fines. At pre-
for that evening's reading. I began with Taxi
had played rugby union for Llanelli 146 times,
sent it's £80. All London councils are proposing
and then Call Sign. When finished, I was curi-
captained Wales, gained 52 caps and scored 11
to raise this to £200. Greenwich Council how-
ous as to why I had read Taxi so quickly? The
international tries. He had even been chosen to
ever, no doubt urged on by the green party
reason was the surprising shortage of actual
play for the British Lions in Australia in 2001.
who would have us living in caves if they had
reading matter. So I grabbed a pencil and
Yet on the day he decided to retire, undisputed
their way, think differently. They believe £200
added together the various quarters and half
Welsh hero Quinnell still only had the reading
would not act as a sufficient deterrent and want
pages of dialogue to make a whole page and
age of a 7-year-old. His poor writing and
to increase the fine to £1000. Where on earth
the result? Out of Taxi's 47 pages there were
spelling meant that his wife had to fill in
do they find these people who sit on councils
just 8 pages of actual reading matter in total, the
cheques for him. When the sports star decided
and make such ridiculous decisions? Lunatic
remainder was advertising. Call Sign by com-
to tackle the first book in the Harry Potter series
Asylums? So be warned, should any of you
parison had 35 pages of which 31 pages were
in his late 20s, it took him two months to com-
dare venture into Greenwich and I'm told,
reading matter and the remainder consisted of
plete the 223 pages.
Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets from
the odd advert, Jery's cartoon and a few
One in four children is leaving school unable
July 2012 and find yourself in desperate need to
announcements. So may I make a suggestion;
to read, write and do maths adequately enough
park perhaps even to go to the loo which
in future after reading Call Sign, leave it in
to apply for a job. This is a disgrace and much
could easily happen if you are stuck for hours
your regular watering hole and let your fellow
of the blame lays on the shoulders of parents
in traffic - and you get a parking fine, it's going
cabmen read a proper truly interesting and
and grandparents. I would guess that the
enjoyable trade magazine that might not have
to be the most expensive pee of your life.
majority of our members are of an age that
the most readers, but by golly it will last
Have a very peaceful Christmas and a happy
have children who have children of their own.
throughout their whole meal and not just
New Year...
How many of those children and grandchildren
through the first sip of tea... Ouch!
were read to every night after being put to bed?
Allen Togwell
Very few it seems. How many of you have
Reeding and riting!
DaC Marketing
given books for Christmas and birthday gifts?
Right, that's got the little dig out of the way and
Again very few it seems.
