Press Release August 2 2010

Ribble Valley Mayor Lois Rimmer has given French car giant Renault "nil point" for an advertisement campaign spoofing the village of Gisburn.

And the mayor has invited Claude, the advertisement's star, to see the "real Ribble Valley," including its award-winning loos, Centre of the Kingdom Dunsop Bridge and the Trough of Bowland, where Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth has said she would like to retire and which was recently described by The Times as 'Britain's answer to the Dordogne'.

Renault visited Gisburn last month to film a major advertisement launching its new Megane.

The advertisements, which have been featured on national television and in the press, compare Gisburn to the village of Menton on the Cote d'Azur, contrasting a swimming pool with a puddle, a pair of designer heels with slippers and a glamorous couple sipping wine in a restaurant with a frumpy couple drinking from a thermos flask on a bench.

As the advertisement campaign unfolds, Menton resident Claude will drive from Menton to Gisburn in a new Renault Megane to see if he can bring some "joie de vivre" to the Ribble Valley village.

 

But Councillor Rimmer, who is also president of the Ribble Valley Tourism Association, said: "We will show Claude a thing or two, instead!"
The mayor has written to Renault asking them to visit the "real Ribble Valley," including its award-winning Ribble Valley Food Trail, which features 38 top restaurants and food producers.

 

She then proposes to take Claude to picturesque Dunsop Bridge, which is the exact centre of the kingdom, and the Trough of Bowland, where the queen has said she would like to retire.

 

And if Claude wants to "spend a centime," he can do so in one of the borough's many award-winning public loos, which the mayor said would eclipse anything found in France, which is infamous for its grotty toilets.

 

Ribble Valley's award-winning loos include the first in the country to be powered by wind, the £34,000 Ribchester toilet block, as well as the £100,000 loos in Slaidburn that received the Green Apple Award for Building Conservation from environmentalist and television personality David Bellamy. The loos are constructed from reclaimed local stone, feature a unique boot-washing facility and are energy and water-efficient, with anti-vandal sensory taps and flushes, and energy-saving light bulbs.

 

Councillor Rimmer said: "We are delighted that Renault has chosen to film its advertisement in Gisburn, but we think their researchers need to dig a bit deeper.

 

"Ribble Valley has been described as the Dordogne of Britain and if Claude would like to accompany me on a tour of the borough I will show him why.

 

"The borough has some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, as well as award-winning restaurants, shops and schools. Even our loos win accolades!"

 

"I have written to Claude inviting him to visit the real Ribble Valley and look forward to his response."

 

Fact Panel

 

*    According to Ordnance Survey, Dunsop Bridge is the nearest village to the centre of the British Isles. BT put its 100,000th phone box there to mark the achievement in 1992.

 

*    Ribble Valley is the largest district in Lancashire in terms of area (over 244 square miles, most of which is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), but has the smallest population - around 54,000.

 

*    Ribble Valley has over 44 villages, many of which have changed very little over the years. Downham is owned by Lord Clitheroe, who does not allow overhead electricity cables, or excessive signage. It was used for the filming of Whistle Down the Wind and the popular Sunday night drama series Born and Bred, starring James Bolam.

 

*    Ribble Valley is dominated by Pendle Hill where George Fox is believed to have had his vision in 1640 prior to founding the Quaker movement. Pendle Hill is 1,835 ft. high and therefore not quite a mountain (2000ft is the qualifying height).

 

*    Clitheroe is famed for its specialist shops, the most popular being Byrnes' Wine Shop, which has an enormous cellar and customers from across the world, and Cowman's Famous Sausage Shop, which sells over 53 types of sausages.

 

*    Ribble Valley is home to the multi-award-winning Ribble Valley Food Trail featuring 40 restaurants and food producers with a commitment to local food and excellent service.

 

*    Ribble Valley's heritage attractions include the £3.5million Clitheroe Castle and Museum, Whalley Abbey, Sawley Abbey, Ribchester Roman Museum, Stonyhurst College, Browsholme Hall and Slaidburn Heritage Centre.

 

*    The landscape around Stonyhurst College in Hurst Green provided the inspiration for Middle Earth in Tolkien's famous Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien regularly visited his son who was studying at the college during the period that he wrote The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, attended Stonyhurst College and it is believed many of his characters and locations were influenced by his schooldays there.

 

*    Ribble Valley can claim one of the lowest levels of unemployment rates in the country at 1.2 per cent and according to the Government is the safest place in the North West.

 

Ends.

 

Ref: PR3710.

 

Date: August 2 2010.