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GOLLY NEWS
WHAT the papers said!
& More Golly News

13th December 2007 Golly dolls 'snapped up' in NI shops
Golly dolls - the black and white toys which many believe have offensive racist connotations - are being snapped up in NI shops.
A Belfast woman said she was "horrified" to find them in a local shopping centre.
Nicola Bailey said: "I can't believe people are making, selling or buying them."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7143029.stm

Friday, 16 March 2007
Complaint over shop's golly dolls Two golly dolls have been confiscated by police officers from a furniture and gift shop in Lancashire, following a complaint that they were offensive.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/6455937.stm

Golly gosh cops lose plot
COPS seized two Golly dolls from a shop after a customer complained the toys were “racist and offensive”.
Owner Gavin Alexander was warned he faced possible charges.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007120476,00.html

11th January 2007
Nick Ferrari at Breakfast - Do you find gollies offensive?

Nick Martin has a golly collection worth 50,000 and he claims that it has never met public approval. Do you find gullies offensive? Listen to his interview.

10th January 2007
Golliwog man denies racism

A COLLECTOR of golliwog memorabilia yesterday defended putting his collection on display at a museum despite accusations of racism.

Nick Martin, 68, lent 300 items ranging from badges to a teapot for the exhibition at the Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham, Hampshire.
"It's only white English people who complain they're racist. They were originally more of a tribute. It's political correctness gone mad," said Mr Martin. Read more

More on the subject
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/northernireland/tm_method=full%26objectid=18443543%26siteid=89520-name_page.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/dmstandard/article.html?in_article_id=427926&in_page_id=1770&ito=1490

6th October 2006
Colin Dodd's Golly Guide- Just released! The fantastic new Golly Guide [2nd Edition]. It was not long after I started golly badge collecting that I realised that one of the best resources available was Colin's reference guide. Colin has spent years and years gathering so much information on the Robertson Golly. He has even devised his own unique reference code for golly badges and known Robertson memorabilia. Any serious golly collector will refer to Colin's reference code. It would be my recommendation to any collector to invest in one of Colin’s guides, it's worth every penny and it will be referred to on so many occasions. Liz Prigg, the owner of "Golly Corner" has already made a great review on her site of the new CD and talk’s about some of the new features, which includes over 4200 colour illustrations. Details of how you can order Colin’s 2nd Edition CD can be found at ''Golly Corner", including an application form that can be printed out. http://www.gollycorner.co.uk/gollyclub.htm

4th March 2006
Shop owner vows to keep selling golliwogs

A shop owner has pledged to continue selling toy golliwogs after three of them were seized by police investigating a complaint, it emerged today. The dolls were removed from a window display at A&E Pettifer's store in the market town of Bromyard, Herefordshire, after a passer-by said they were offensive. Read More

** Criticism over golly exhibition **
A private golly collection on display at a museum in Hampshire is criticised.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/england/hampshire/6257433.stm >

Golly exhibition at Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham

The golly collection at the museum was compiled by a local resident

An exhibition of golly badges at a Hampshire museum has been criticised.

The private collection on display in Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham has been criticised for its perceived racist connotations.

Dr John Molyneux, from the University of Portsmouth, said the items should not be regarded simply as a childhood pastime or hobby.

But Nick Martin who owns the collection said the exhibition had been very popular and no-one had complained.

No complaints

Mr Martin told BBC News: "There is no dispute going on at all. The museum said that not one person had complained.

"I spent an hour and a half at the museum speaking to people who had come to see the exhibition and no-one had any problems with it."

The museum said it would continue to show the collection, but reconsider the decision if it received complaints.

The golly badge, which was once produced to promote sales of jam and marmalade, is now a collector's item.

The golly badges were produced to promote jam and marmalade

The collection on display at the museum was compiled by a local resident who started collecting the badges as a child.

But Dr Molyneux said the original creation of the golly character has more sinister connection.

He said: "At the time that they were produced they were part of a racist atmosphere, of a racist attitude towards non-white people, very definitely. That's the history I don't want to be lost.

"Presenting them as just innocent children's play things is suppressing that real history."

Hampshire County Council said it is sorry if anyone has been offended and the museum said it would reconsider the showing of the exhibit if it received direct complaints.

Councillor Margaret Snaith, from Hampshire County Council said: "Most people of my age can remember these things and can remember collecting them.

"We were very sorry when the connotation changed. I just think it's a great pity."

** Seized gollies returned to store **
Police are returning three gollies which were seized after a complaint from a passer-by.
< http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/4770800.stm >

The seized toys were on display in the store

Police in Herefordshire say they will not be charging a store owner after removing three toy golliwogs from his shop window.

The toys were removed from a display at Pettifer's in Bromyard after someone complained they were offensive.

Officers said the items will be returned but store owner Donald Reynolds will be advised about the sensitivities of displaying them.

Mr Reynolds said he would continue to sell them.

He said he had not received any complaints about the toys, which had been on display for two weeks, before they were seized.

'Good sellers'

He decided to sell them after altering his shop to include gifts for sale.

"I thought they would be good sellers and they were.

"Within ten minutes of putting them out I sold two of them," he said.

West Mercia Police said the toys were seized under section 5 of the Public Order Act which makes it an offence to display anything which could be deemed as threatening, abusive or insulting.

It added no further action would be taken.

'Controversial' golly to be shelved

Golly has been used on the jars for 91 years

The jam and marmalade jar character Golly is to be ditched by its producers Robertson's after 91 years.

The controversial character is being replaced by drawings from Roald Dahl stories.

Golly hit the headlines in the 1980s when it was condemned as a racist symbol.

Robertson's, which is based in Droylsden in Greater Manchester, said the latest decision had been based on research which found children were unfamiliar with the character.

Roald Dahl characters will adorn the jars

Brand director Ginny Knox, said: "We're incredibly excited about the new scheme and feel that it is a fantastic fit with Robertson's well-established values of family fun and Britishness.

"With annual UK sales of over one million books, Roald Dahl evokes strong feelings of warmth and affection with today's parents and their children."

Seven characters, illustrated by Quentin Blake, will feature including James & the Giant Peach and Willy Wonka, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

'Not offensive'

The changeover will start appearing on jars of Robertson's jams and Golden Shred marmalade from 1 September.

But the Golly will continue to feature on the company's mincemeat until Christmas.

Ms Knox denied it was because it was an offensive image.

Golly is going into retirement

"We sell 45 million jars of jam and marmalade each year and they have pretty much all got Golly on them.

"We also sell 250,000 Golly badges to collectors and only get 10 letters a year from people who don't like the Golly.

"Whereas we are concerned about those people and it's not our intention to be offensive with the Golly, we have to look at what our research says and what the sales say.

"The feedback has consistently been that for the vast majority of people, the Golly is a positive thing that they like," she added.

Originally called the Golliwog, the Golly first appeared on jars in 1910.

The character became one of the UK's longest running consumer loyalty schemes.