GOLLY OR GOLLY***THIS IS THE QUESTION?

GOLLY HAS NO PROBLEM WI TH PIGLET!

WELL WHERE DO I START, AS THE TITLE SAYS WHERE DO WE STAND ON THE GOLLY DEBATE.

WHERE I WORK WHICH IS A SMALL GARDEN SHOP BY THE WAY, WE ARE IN OUR THIRD YEAR OF SELLING GOLLY***S,THIS YEAR WE HAVE ADDED KEY RINGS AND FRIDGE MAGNETS.I HAVE NEVER IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE WORKED IN RETAIL HAD SUCH HEATED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS LITTLE COLOURED CHAP WITH STRIPEY TROUSERS AND A RED JACKET.

THE FIRST THING A CUSTOMER ASKS DO I SAY GOLLY OR GOLLYWOG(YES ARREST ME IF YOU MUST OOPS I'VE SAID THE DREADED WORD)

I TELL THEM IT IS A FREE COUNTRY ,'I THINK' AND WE DON'T MIND IN THIS SHOP.WELL THEY START TO TELL ME THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD TO LEAVE SHOPS BEFORE NOW BECAUSE THEY SAID THE GW WORD,I ASK YOU WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO, ARE WE TO TAKE OFFENCE IF SOMEONE ASKED ME FOR A WHITE CARRIER BAG (MYSELF BEING A WHITE BRITISH FEMALE )

IN THE SCHEME OF THINGS COLOUR HAS BUGGER ALL TO DO WITH ANYTHING, I'M SURE A BLIND PERSON HAS A MUCH BETTER VIEW OF THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE IN IT ,I KNOW THAT MAY SOUND DAFT BUT JUST THINK ABOUT IT .IF A CHINESE MAN WHO SPEAKS IRISH CAME UP TO A BLIND PERSON AND HAD A CONVERSATION DO YOU HONESTLY THINK HE OR SHE WOULD BE THINKING WHAT IS THAT YELLOW FACED CHINKY MAN ON ABOUT .NO NO NO THEY WOULDN'T BECAUSE THEY WOULD ACCEPT THEM AT FACE VALUE.

I COULDN'T GO INTO THE STORIES I'VE HEARD OVER THE YEARS FROM ALL COLOUR AND CREEDS AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY NOT ONE PERSON HAS TOOK OFFENCE AT OUR GOLLYS.I GREW UP EATING JAM BY THE BUCKET LOAD SO I COULD SEND FOR A BADGE OR A BAND GOLLY WITH DIFFERENT MUSICAL INSTRUMENT I LOVED THE BLACK AND WHITE MINSTRAL SHOW I DON'T KNOW OF ANYONE WHO TOOK OFFENCE AT THESE PROGRAMMES.

WHAT LITTLE JUMPED UP PERSON STUCK BEHIND A DESK DECIDED THAT BLACK WASN'T A WORD TO BE USED WHO SAID BLACK PEOPLE WERE OFFENDED BY GOLLYS OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I COULD WRITE A BOOK.

MY LAST WORD, WE HAD A JAMAICAN FAMILY COME INTO OUR SHOP I HAVEN'T HEARD SO MUCH LAUGHTER FOR A LONG TIME THE FATHER BOUGHT SIX GOLLYS FOR HIS CHILDREN AND HIS ELDERLY MUM THEY BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES HE SAID AND HE PROUDLY CALLED THEM "GOLLYWOGS"