Scenes On A Plate Spark Souvenir Row

12:00am Saturday 1st January 2000

RESIDENTS of landmark properties inEndmoor are irritated that their homes have been depicted on a set ofporcelain plates, showing views of the village, without theirpermission.

Decor Art Creations Ltd, of Canterbury, mail-shottedhomes with brochures marketing "unprecedented" souvenir plates, showing"cherished scenes" from Endmoor.

The four-piece collection shows thepost-office, village hall, Old School House and Working Men'sClub.

But Chris Stoker, of Endmoor post-office, said that neither henor the sub-postmasters at Crosthwaite, Levens, Milnthorpe and Stainton,where similar plates have been marketed, had been asked forpermission.

He said: "Someone asked me what I was getting out of itbut I was never asked.

"The brochure says, the 'beautiful' Endmoorand, although we enjoy living here, we'd hardly call it that. They've gotthe village hall and the working men's club when they should have done theMace where the horses were shod. There's no history or nothing, just'let's make some money'."

Joseph Hawkes, of Old School House, firstrealised his home was on the plates when he received a brochure throughthe post.

He said: "It is actually a really nice picture of ourhouse but I would have liked to have been asked."

Paul Cordukes,steward at the Working Men's Club, said: "The brochure says the plates arepicture perfect to a millimetre but there are no signs saying this is apub or a club."

Mr Stoker rang Decor Art Creations and was told itwas company policy to ask permission. Mr Stoker replied that he did notthink they had.

"I said, you're making money out of the plates, youshould send me a set for the village's Millennium Fund.

"The womansaid she would send us one plate, of the post-office - in eight weeks'time."

When the Gazette telephoned, a spokeswoman said Decor ArtCreations produces sets of plates, featuring villages across the country.

"That is what we do for a living," she said, adding that no commentcould be given unless the Gazette wrote to the managing director.

Meanwhile, Chief Insp Andy Bell, of Kendal police, said a companywas not committing an offence by taking photographs, unless trespass ordamage was involved.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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