Make Christmas a little greener with a brand new Winchester bag

Winchester City Council's tourism service has launched a new eco friendly bag just in time for Christmas. Not only is it made from 100% unbleached cotton: the Winchester bag is also designed by a local artist and the final artwork was decided by a public poll.

To help local artist Lucy McLoughlin decide which images captured the best of what the Winchester District has to offer, over 150 residents and visitors took the chance to vote for their favourite icons from a line up produced by Lucy. Survey respondents also had the option of entering into a prize draw and the lucky winner, randomly selected this week by Cllr Frank Pearson, Winchester City Council's portfolio holder for the environment, will receive a free bag.

Not surprisingly, Winchester Cathedral came out top in the survey, closely followed by the Round Table and King Alfred's crown from his statue on Broadway. Other popular icons featured on the bag include a quill, representing Winchester's literary connections with the likes of Jane Austen and John Keats; a steam train symbolising the 'Watercress Line' in Alresford, and theatre masks representing Winchester's lively arts and street entertainment scene.

The final design brings together the most popular icons in a fun and contemporary style with the strapline 'Winchester - bags to do'. The City Council hopes that the bag will raise the profile of Winchester and its surrounding area as an exciting destination with activities to suit all ages and tastes, whilst reinforcing local commitment to reducing waste.

Cllr Pearson commented:
"The arrival of our Winchester bag marks another step along the road of delivering our Climate Change Action Plan. The district has a long way to go, still, but buying and using a bag like this is the kind of simple but significant action we can all take to help make a difference."

Lucy McLoughlin said:
"It was a real challenge to create an appropriate design that would appeal to a wide range of people. It was a very thorough process and we tried to get as much input from everyone as possible. I am very pleased that the bag is finally here and I hope that the people of Winchester will like it."

The bag is perfect for a stocking filler, a souvenir for visitors or a handy shopping carrier for local residents. City Council staff were keen to be seen with the new bag, which is now on sale for £2.99 at the tourist information centre on Broadway, the City Council's Customer Service Centre in Colebrook Street, City Museum and other local outlets.

Notes to editors
1. For further information about the bag, including high resolution images of the design, contact tourism marketing and development officer Rachel Abbott at rabbott@winchester.gov.uk or on 01962 848 556 for more details.

2. You can purchase the bag from the following:
Winchester Tourist Information Centre
City Museum
City Space at the Discovery Centre
Norton Park Hotel
The Great Hall
The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum
Winchester City Council Customer Service Centre