Sometimes, an action that has been carried out with the best of intentions can have unintended consequences. That would appear to be the case when it comes to the red Christmas Shop/North Pole signs that have been added to the wooden direction post on Bank Corner.

The quirky additions were a Council initiative intended to be part of the street decorations for central Maldon.

Yes, that street sign on Bank Corner has some of the locals riled up – heritage buffs, Grinches, and some of the local traders have joined forces to voice their disapproval.

The heritage buffs do have a point – the font is not ticketty boo! Perhaps if the Maldon Men’s Shed instead of the Newstead Men’s Shed had been asked to make the signs, the correct font would have been used.

What about the Grinches? Well, they have a point too. These signs are celebrating Christmas! So the Grinches are also entitled to be a little bah humbuggish as they simply hate anything associated with the festive season.

Local traders – some of the traders, who also stock Christmas decorations, believe that the sign has given the Christmas Shop (aka Vanilla Spice) an unfair commercial advantage.

The traders also have a point, although it could also be said that the signs – as part of Council’s street decorations – enliven the town and make it an attractive shopping destination for both tourists and locals.

There has been correspondence between Maldon Inc. and Council regarding the street signs.

This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 9 December 2022.