Poster Memorials Urging City Folk to Explore Our Green and Protected Landscapes

Published on: 23 Jul, 2019
Updated on: 26 Jul, 2019

A major campaign is encouraging city folk to “go out out” and exchange the fumes of urban life to explore the fresh air of the amazing countryside on their doorstep.

The high-profile visual poster campaign will feature at major train stations and on buses across the South-east inviting young and older to discover the “breathing spaces” of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

Public transport operators, including South Western, Southern, South Eastern Railway, Great Western Railway, Metrobus, Stagecoach and Brighton and Hove Buses are also promoting the campaign.

The move marks the 70th anniversary of the Act of Parliament which established National Parks and AONBs. Research has shown millions of people in the UK do not have easy access to green space. A YouGov poll also revealed Londoners were twice as likely to go to the Lake District than the South Downs, only an hour from the capital.

Julian Glover, associate editor of the London Evening Standard and independent review lead for Designated Landscapes Review, said: ‘This campaign will help show how getting out into nature is something everyone can enjoy, no matter what age, background or experience.’

The contemporary posters pay homage to the beautiful vintage postcard-perfect posters from the 1930s when city folk would head into the countryside on trains and buses and bicycles just to enjoy the calm, quiet beauty of the countryside.

Almost 90 years on, the campaign aims to connect a whole new generation of urban dwellers with the breathtaking countryside within easy reach.

Chris Grayling, Tory MP for Epsom and Ewell and former Transport Secretary, said: “Surrey is blessed by some of the most beautiful countryside in the south of England. And there’s fierce competition from other counties with great countryside.

“All the more reason to jump on a train and experience these special landscapes for yourself.”

The posters give a fresh new meaning to the common Instagram #goingoutout. Rather than a “messy” night out in the city, instead getting away from the metropolis and into the great outdoors.

The campaign is being spearheaded by a partnership of the South-east’s protected landscapes, the South Downs National Park and the Surrey Hills, Chichester Harbour, High Weald and Kent Downs AONBs.

Margaret Paren, chair of National Parks England and chair of the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “Despite being the most populated part of the UK, the South-east is home to some our most special landscapes.

“They are truly breathtaking places with some of the most stunning views you will find anywhere in the world.

“The sad truth is that so many people, especially young people, don’t even know they exist. Not enough people are making use of these incredible green spaces and connecting with nature, which have been shown to have so many benefits for mental health and general well-being.

“This campaign aims to change all that with the protected areas of the South-east working together to enable people to access these national icons.

“The message is simple. You don’t need expensive walking boots and hiking gear, but with a train or bus ticket it’s easy to get into the heart of these special places.

“Tens of thousands of passengers will see these eye-catching posters and we hope they are a conversation-starter, inspiring real behaviour change to ‘go out out’ and explore these treasured landscapes.

“There has never been a better time to encourage visitors to come and explore these green and beautiful places that have been designated for the whole nation.”

The public transport campaigns of yesteryear are fascinating: rambling clubs published calendars of full moons, and train companies laid on mystery trains to rural destinations.

In 1932, Southern Railway offered an excursion to a moonlit walk along the South Downs, expecting to sell 40 or so tickets. Fifteen-hundred people turned up.

The driving force was a desire among that generation to connect with nature, borne out of the trauma of the First World War, economic hardship and fear of another war.

Peter Campbell, of Guildford-based Chaos Design, the agency which created the concept and artworks for the awareness campaign, said: “We feel the bold vivid colours and simplistic illustrative advertising style will appeal to a younger urban audience, get noticed and be hard to miss.

“From research, we know millennials and older Gen Zs are seeking less hedonistic pursuits and are searching for new pleasures and activities. So taking a new angle on #goingoutout will also help spread the campaign through social channels online and support the outdoor awareness campaign – both will help disrupt the usual connotations of Going Out Out!” www.going-outout.co.uk

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