There’s a lot of interesting reading in so-called non-mainstream newspapers. London has a couple. They’re not beholden to advertisers or any perception of what is universally good or bad. They are free to opine about whatever catches their fancy. One of these is the London Yodeller.
A columnist writes about something we all know to be true, but rarely mention: London’s main Santa Claus Parade has some big behind-the-scenes issues. So much so, that a group broke off from it six years ago and started its own parade in the city’s south end: The Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade. It’s a community-driven event that has many rules but isn’t a mini-corporation. I’ll give you one example. It costs $35 to put a float in the Hyde Park Parade. The London one? $500. Okay another example. In Hyde Park, you can’t just put your business truck in and call it a float.
Every year the London parade says it’s close to folding. Still, it draws thousands of people downtown, even when it happens, as it did this year, before Remembrance Day. Back to the Yodeller. Vanessa Brown has written a terrific, biting piece about the parade and she makes several great points. It’s a brilliant observation that after the early evening parade, all you can do is press your nose up against closed store windows. Why isn’t it a downtown event with open stores, and maybe shopping discounts? If you’re interested, read on HERE.
Thanks for the props Lisa!!!! We will be publishing your comment in our next Letters to the Editor.