Fifty Percent off Christmas

So it's "50% off Christmas" at the local gift shop.  That of course is really just shorthand for 50% off Christmas merchandise.  Alternately it could well mean that Christmas day has been reduced by 50% to only 12 hours, with half a turkey. 

Apologetic Door

Here's a sign on a door between inside and outside at a local garden centre.

It's a single door in a bank of windows.  While it's pleasing to be invited to use the door, assuming that there's a need or desire, it's curious why this would be a cause to apologise.

Nature No Entry

A walk through some Buxton woods reveals this wonderful no-entry gate, but missing it's neighbouring fencing.  This is the more relaxed countryside guidance.... and the point is made simply enough.  It's empowering a sense of trust which is simultaneously encouraging a natural curiosity.

This Way Up Down and Sideways

Here's a box for the transport of flowers.... David Austin Roses no less.

There's a great bright sticker specifically to highlight the fragility and to keep upright.  So wonderful that such a clearly purposeful sticker has been used in such a way as to be at odds with itself.  What's even more curious is that the sticker does not explicitly say to keep the box upright, rather to keep box as the angle of the arrows.  That might just raise the question about whether the box should be balanced on it's corner, a bit like balancing a pyramid on it's point.

Real Ice Skating Rink

It's time for some ice skating so let's go to the Ice Skating Rink. The flyer sums it up "Experience the magic of ice skating on REAL ICE".  But of course when it comes the to the signage, then things get a bit more tricky as things get shortened.  Mark Twain is quoted as saying “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead".  Plus the adage of "less is more" and the challenge of synthesis with clarity and impact can be a bit tricky.  Here there's a play on the fact that the Ice is real, but of course can equally refer to the fact that the Ice Skating Rink it itself real, rather than imaginary of course.