With Halloween and Bonfire Night out of the way Diary is excited to go full Christmas (well it’s that or rolling election coverage). Mince pies are officially on, coffee shops have stocked their festive cups (though shame on you if you still have not bought a KeepCup, or similar reusable beverage receptacle) and Diary cannot wait to see what festive campaigns charities come up with this year.
Anyway this week we delve deep into the miserly Official Charts Company’s treatment of Children in Need and look at how moustaches are still proving innovative and popular fundraising tools.
Children in Need banned from the chart
Ahead of this year’s annual Children in Need telethon the charity had arranged for a whole host of famous faces to record cover versions of well-known pop songs. Everything was going to schedule – a documentary of the process had been made, celebs were remembering to post regular updates on social media and the record was heading for number one in the charts.
But then disaster struck. The Official Charts Company, somewhat belatedly, reclassified the album as a “various artists compilation” and took it out of the main chart.
This has not gone down very well with the actors involved or the charity.
Simon Antrobus, chief executive of the charity said he was “deeply saddened”, while Broadchurch actor Shaun Dooley said he feared that the change meant the CD would not be stocked in supermarkets.
News of the ‘ban’ has been covered widely though, in fact it was the first Diary heard of the album and nothing persuades people to buy a CD more than the idea it has been banned by ‘The Man’.
Children in Need is in good company: The Beatles, Abba, Queen, George Michael and Lady Gaga have all had their music banned for some reason or another. Usually for “inappropriate references” rather than getting the admin wrong.
Mo money for charity
Diary is far too long in the tooth to worry about getting asked for proof of age in pubs these days (although we would welcome the compliment). We do remember that back in our day, male underage teenagers would hope that the first sign of a wisp of hair on their top lip would enable them to get a pint in at the local.
Of course, Diary doesn’t condone underage drinking, but those that are old enough to grow a more fully-formed moustache have a good excuse to head to one particular boozer this month.
During November, The Sun Inn in Ulverston, Cumbria will donate 10 per cent of a total food bill to charity for any moustachioed customer. This is all being done to celebrate Movember, the campaign that encourages men to grow moustaches in November to raise funds for men’s health causes.
“Anyone who does call in to the Sun Inn during Movember can expect a warm welcome, the chance to show their mo to the Sun’s thousands of social media followers - and of course 10 per cent of their food bill donated to a charity of their choice,” said Sam Scott, manager of the pub.
However, Lakeland Inns, which owns The Sun Inn, warns that in order to qualify for the donation “diners must have a distinct mo. Mos being cultivated in the safe confines of similar length facial ‘nursery’ stubble will not qualify.”
So, if you (or any of your over 18 friends) are currently charitably cultivating handlebars, walruses or even going for the rather impressive full Salvador Dali look, then head to Cumbria to celebrate their achievements with a slap up meal and to raise more funds for a good cause.
