'˜Floral sex' display causes controversy

The words Floral Sex are emblazoned across Budz in Church Street but, although many laughed at the pun, it did not go down quite so well with some residents in the area.

Days after they put up the display shop owners Helen and Andy Brown received a handwritten note through their door.

It said: “I and several of my neighbours, especially those with children, find your poster very offensive.

“Surely it would have been appropriate and acceptable to have put love instead of sex.”

The note was signed: “Concerned”.

Helen, who has had the shop for five years, said: “So this year for Valentine’s Day we went for something to literally stop traffic, cause a stir and make people notice us.

“We have had a fantastic response overall to our latest window display on Facebook, Twitter, from customers in the shop, people walking past and people talking about us in pubs and at the post office.

“One morning we came into the shop to a note put through the door telling us we our poster was ‘very offensive’ from ‘concerned’.

“We did not want offend at all, that was not our intention.

“We have slightly amended our window display but the calls from our Facebook followers was that we were not to take it out at all.”

The shop now sports a sign slapped across the display saying ‘censored’.

Facebook follower Helen Finch wrote: “Oh tell them to lighten up, it was tongue in cheek, and I’m sure its put more smiles on people’s faces than frowns. Glad you’ve only ‘censored’ it.”

Stuart Farnworth also wrote: “There will always be a small minority of people in any walk of life that will be offended by anything, nothing wrong with the window it’s jovial and light-hearted.”

The display did not go down so well with Nikki Burkhill however.

“I am not ‘concerned’ but I admit I did not like your window display,” she wrote.

“I ordered some funeral flowers just before this display and I must say they were great and I was very happy.

“However, had that display been up when I came into your shop, I think I would have gone elsewhere.

“I don’t think it conveys a classy image which is what I wanted my flowers to be and they were, absolutely.

“I’m just trying to say that I don’t feel it’s doing you any favours.

“But it’s your shop and you can do whatever you want.”