I took this photo today, it is part of the signage of a now closed down newsagent shop in Nottingham’s shittier shopping centre Broadmarsh. At one point this was, I imagine, a tobacconist in the days when smoking was an acceptable pastime that you could even partake of indoors. A sign for a shop, and now a sign of a lost time, this plaque will probably not survive any future makeover of the shop.

They say that wet weather is good for ducks, so it was a boost for Nottingham this afternoon to see that the city’s unofficial mascot Ayup the Duck made a visit to the Market Square. I hadn’t seen him at all this year, something I blamed on the fact that nobody bothered to turn the fountain on. This is the usual time of year for Ayup to turn up and spend the day in the water feature, usually ending his tenure during this Bank Holiday weekend (his departure coincided with the City Pulse festival that Nottingham Council rather ridiculously stopped doing). The rain might prove to be a good thing as it will hopefully encourage Ayup to spend some time with his public. Everybody in Nottingham loves the little fellow, and he can be a brilliant pull for tourists, which is why I jumped in when the duck first appeared in 2009. I was on the ball enough to claim the marketing rights to Ayup the Duck and ‘the mallard in the fountains/water feature in the Market Square’ to capitalise on the possibilities. If all had gone to plan it is possible that I could be on my way to millionaire status by now, but unfortunately the random nature of Ayup’s residency has made things difficult. My plans were for t-shirts, postcards, cuddly toys, calendars, and even a children’s book Ayup the Duck’s Big Book of Fun, the type of boredom busting activity book that gets thrust upon children during holidays. I actually have a draft copy of the book in my archive.

The problem with Ayup’s lack of consideration is that I can’t afford to make up a load of merchandise on the off chance. Last year he barely put in an appearance either and he has to actually be in the fountain to garner any interest. I am considering licensing the character to local businesses that have the funds to be able to create stock. I am reluctant to sell the rights lock stock and barrel because I don’t want to become an article in The Nottingham Evening Post (as I still call it) or a pub quiz question about the idiot who could have made millions from a simple concept.

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