A seaside café has defended their decision to sell offensive golliwog dolls, claiming that they’ve shifted ‘hundreds’ of them.
The Old Manor Café on Manor Road in Norfolk has loads of the dolls – which are racist caricatures of black people – on display for all to see, much to the shock and dismay of customers.
One such customer, who asked not to be named, said that the decision to sell the dolls is ‘morally unacceptable’.
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Golliwog dolls were once popular across the UK, but time has moved on a lot since then - or so you'd think - and they’re now widely considered to be racist and offensive.
The shocked customer continued: "We recently dropped in for a bite to eat and were shocked to find these openly on show and available for purchase.
"These racially stereotypical caricatures have been morally unacceptable in this country for years.
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“But not in Norfolk, it would appear.
"They are racially divisive and antisocial."
That’s pretty much spot on, to be fair.
The golliwogs aren’t the only things on sale in the café, with dolls featuring characters such as Bettie Boop and fishermen from Great Yarmouth also on sale.
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The manager of the shop has defended the decision to sell the dolls, claiming that no customer has complained directly to him.
According to the manager – who asked not to be named - the souvenirs are popular with customers, and he claims to have sold ‘hundreds of them’.
He said: "For starters, they're called gollies.
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"But it's ok for people to complain about them.
“It is their right.
"But people aren't complaining about the other things I have on display.
“They're not seeing the whole picture."
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Why on earth wouldn’t they complain about the non-offensive things, but complain about the offensive ones, eh?
The manager did later admit that two customers had complained to another member of staff last year, as well as informing the police about the figures.
He said: "The people went home, visited their local police station, who told headquarters, who told Great Yarmouth police, who then told Flegg police.
"Four police forces were involved, all because someone didn’t want to say anything to me.
"I sold 12 of them to a black bloke from Brixton, and he superglued them all to his dashboard.
“He loved them."
The golliwog character became popular in the 1970s as the mascot of preserve manufacturer Robertson’s.
They stopped using it in 2002, but some have kept making and selling the dolls.
This Friday, customers in the café had their say on the dolls, with one saying: "If someone is offended by it, they should be able to say that they’re offended.
"I appreciate these things are not pleasant and outdated.
“I personally wouldn't have them out, and I would challenge anyone being racist.
"But to say they're a hate crime, I think that is disrespectful to real hate crimes where people are really suffering because of the colour of their skin or religion.
"Gollies will fade away sooner or later.
“But forcing people to get rid of them is focusing on the wrong things.
“There are other forms of upset and inequality that people experience that have greater significance."
Tom Wood