A Whale Of A Time

Despite modern re-branding the Welsh Tourist Board has, so far, failed in its efforts to make the Principality attractive to visitors.

Red-[dragon]-faced senior thrupiecefilm executives were left "stunned and embarrassed" today after it emerged that their forthcoming film for the Welsh Tourist Board was based on "something of a misconception". It is understood that Head of Promotional Productions - Töppe Sellars - is to stand aside after admitting that he "and others who cannot be named but bear equal marks of culpability" had misunderstood the brief handed to them by Welsh Tourist Board [WTB] officials who were hoping that the blockbuster film company could help them in their "mammoth task" of trying to "sell Wales as a probable holiday destination" to "ordinary folk with no particular interest in rugby, sheep and outdoor vomiting". He added that he hoped his departure would mean that the incident would not dragon indefinitely. [Is this a pun or a misprint [Ed]]

After decades and a long track record of inevitable failure to make the principality attractive to visitors, jaded officials had turned to thrupiecefilm in the hope of making a breakthrough. "The company appeared to have made something of a reputation for rescuing lost causes and making them an on-screen success", said WTB Official - Dai Tryin - "witness, for example, the career of Jason Stourpaine". "So naturally, having failed miserably in all our previous attempts to make Wales look attractive to normal people, we turned to them as the leaders in their field. We were explicit in our brief - we wanted to make Wales look interesting - perhaps a little mysterious - and we told them above all to get away from the stereotypes and give the whole subject depth". "They were as excited as we were and, after assuring us they had more than enough to go on, said they would be in touch. Next thing we know it's out there and boy did they get hold of the wrong end of the hockey stick".

Speaking for thrupiecefilm, Acting Head of Promotional Productions - Tim-Pury Measures - said that the whole thing had been "a dreadful misunderstanding" which they hoped to put right soon and without further cost to the WTB. "We will be re-shooting immediately he said and substituting readily recognisable symbols - in particular, a large leek - for the erroneous original". Asked if the person responsible for the initial misunderstanding might have been deaf, he replied: "as soon as possible and no later than Tuesday".