Charlbury's logo

Wed 26 May 2010, 18:59

to many big words diana and no sense talked.

Wed 19 May 2010, 10:02

This discussion is about exploring arguments in favour and against exploring the idea of a new logo. 'Change for the sake of change' hasn't been an argument presented - quite right too. 'Keep for the sake of not changing' does appear a bit, but wouldn't be terribly valid either.
Keep if it does a good job (which would need to be argued in more detail), or if the costs of change would be unsurmountable (which would need to be argued in detail). Change if a new logo would do a better job and the change would be affordable ('value for money') - a new logo could bring in more money (which would need to be argued in detail...).

Wed 19 May 2010, 08:36

Why change something that has been part of Charlbury for decades. The Charlbury logo is well known and should not be changed. If people want to change for the sake of change, then move somewhere else and do it

Thu 13 May 2010, 09:13

Oh great, Ken's back (sic). There goes the neighbourhood, as they say in the US!

Wed 12 May 2010, 16:33

why not waste taxpayers money and rebuild it. at least it will take up a few incomers car parking spaces.it will give them something else to moan about and another thing to change.long live the real charlbrarien.

Tue 4 May 2010, 13:13

I would point out that the Market Stall features on the Town Council official seal, seldom used nowadays, but that is where the emblem originated. I think it would be a shame to change just for the sake of change and modernisation. What is wrong in using something that was part of Charlbury, and the reason we are a town?

Fri 30 Apr 2010, 07:38

How about a project to get the fountain in operation first before it is championed as a potential logo for the town?

Thu 29 Apr 2010, 23:03

Maybe the town council could consider opening a competition to design a logo that represents Charlbury's history and is more visually appealling?
There are some extremely talented people here, young and old.

Thu 29 Apr 2010, 16:23

If you go to www.rusfa.com/letterhead.pdf this illustrates the possible use of the drinking fountain logo.

Thu 29 Apr 2010, 15:21

Shouldn't be too difficult to change an image on Wikipedia if you find something more appropriate - it's after all a completely democratic tool. Just go ahead an do it - if other people don't agree they can always change it again.... Might be an interesting way to establish what is considered to be a good visual representation of Charlbury. Or we could have a competition at the Primary School to design the New Logo!

Thu 29 Apr 2010, 08:05

Oh dear, spelling neuron not kicked in without my morning coffee.
Perhaps it would not be "inappropriate" to have a spelling checker for the forum!

Thu 29 Apr 2010, 07:57

Totally inapproriate and misleading (so few cars parked)! Could it be replaced by a photo of the fountain perhaps?

Wed 28 Apr 2010, 15:14

Before we get into whether or not the Market Stall still represents the Charlbury of today, maybe we should decide if the photo on Wikipedia is appropriate !

Tue 27 Apr 2010, 20:50

But that works the other way around too - just because it's old and historic, doesn't mean that it respresents the current Charlbury in a meaningful way. Does it help to show newcomers, visitors and outsiders what Charlbury is about? I suppose that that is a matter of interpretation and taste - for some it does, and for others it doesn't.
To me personally it doesn't do much - maybe it shows Charlbury has a long history, but it doesn't show anything about Charlbury today. Maybe we should have a good old-fashioned referendum about it - ask the people, all the people, not just those on the forum or in he council.

Tue 27 Apr 2010, 17:59

Well said Alan ,lets not rush to change things that have been the emblems of charlbury since it was created or we will lose the identity of the place at some time altogether.

Tue 27 Apr 2010, 15:17

Although the Old Market building is long gone, it was actually featured on the fountain,(How many have spotted it?, so it has been a Charlbury emblem for a long time. Not everything that is old is necessarily outdated or needs replacing.

Tue 27 Apr 2010, 09:30

Can't find more about the well cover in Lois Hey's 'A History of Charlbury', but then, every well had its cover.

There is more information in there about the market 'stall' which was actually used as a cover for the stocks in the 19th century, and after the stocks went, the neighbouring ironmongers used the space as an outdoor showroom. The roof was taken off in 1871 because it was a traffic hazard!

Perhaps we should be truly traditionalist and reintroduce the stocks as well. I expect we can all come up with some candidates...

There is probably more information to be found in John Kibble's 'Charming Charlbury', but I don't have a copy to hand.

Mon 26 Apr 2010, 22:15

And I always thought the school uniform logo *was* the drinking fountain on playing close. But I guess I'm too new to this place to know about these things (almost 6 years).... I like the idea of making that official, as I can relate Charlbury to the drinking fountain, not to the market stall thingy. I realise that many logo-updates are disastrous modernisations, but there are also very good examples of really good changes.

Mon 26 Apr 2010, 21:48

It is still on the school sweatshirts and book bags!

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 16:17

When i were a boy ,it was on the school blazer as a logo and the school cap ,but that all changed as well of course .everything does it seems.

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 16:12

I'm not much of a fan either - I wonder when it was first adopted. I do not feel it is much of a relevant icon for Charlbury. Does the town itself really need a logo?

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 12:56

Ah yes, of course, I see it on the Chronicle cover. Is this the same as the building depicted on a stone outside the Charlbury Museum?

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 12:34

Graham, if you go to the Community link at the top menu and select Charbury Town Council, look at Agendas and Minutes and you will see the logo of the non-existing market stall. It pops up in various places.

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 12:33

It's on the masthead of the Chronicle. But you're right, it's not used much. I'm not a fan.

Sun 25 Apr 2010, 11:30

Where are there examples of the Charlbury logo in use? I haven't been able to find anything online. I'd like to see why I was mistaken. And where could I find any reference to this 'Baywell' well cover?

Sat 24 Apr 2010, 19:13

No Graham, Baywell is a well cover and quite different from the timber market stall. But it does exist! So one criterion is certainly met.

Reg: I agree with you, though I think it's a pity there isn't something more 'essentially Charlbury' that could be used. The argument for keeping the market stall, I suppose -- or the only reasonable argument, excluding the outburst at the Town Council meeting to which I presume you delicately allude -- is that it makes a reference to the town's grant of a royal charter as a market town in 1256, so it does acknowledge 750 years of the town's history. But who recognises the thing as a market stall? Perhaps it is significant that Graham thinks it's a drawing of Baywell. Maybe someone else thinks it's a bus shelter. It's a bit odd the way it flies in mid-air too: a medieval tardis?

Of course it would be nice if the drinking fountain were still a drinking fountain, but imagine the elf and safety issues.

Sat 24 Apr 2010, 16:51

I was under the impression that the building depicted in the Charlbury logo still exists (albeit in need of some TLC) and can be found in the field to the left of the road of Park Street leading to Cornbury Park. The criteria of existing and having historical significance seem to me to be met.

Sat 24 Apr 2010, 14:36

Generally speaking I am in favour of keeping the existing logo, simply because it has been demolished.
Mainly, however, I would like to know what costs would be involved in changing it.

Fri 23 Apr 2010, 16:35

I have been discussing with some other town councillors the possibility of changing the commonly used town logo to something more appropriate.
The current logo is a drawing of a timber market stall which was demoloished at the beginning of the last century. I have proposed changing it to a drawing of the drinking fountain on the Playing Close. The latter has some advantages in that a) it actually exists and b) it has historical significance in that it celebrates a visit by Queen Victoria, and the arrival of piped drinking water into the town.
The proposed change is not being received well by the traditionalist tendency - specially as I am only an incomer to the town and have only lived hear for 14 years, so I would be interested to hear if anyone would support such a change - or if there are any other ideas for a change of logo!