RED FACES AT STRAWBERRY FAIR

There have been some red faces, as well as red fruit, in the town of Cassibile [Siracusa Province] where the good citizens are justly proud of their annual strawberry festival.  Preparations for the 2011 festival, to be held over the two weekends 29th April - 1st May and 6th - 8th May, were going well until some publicity posters like the one below, using a woman's cleavage to extol the "beautiful, firm and fragrant" qualities of the fruit, appeared:

Complaints that the posters were degrading to women were immediately made to the town council, whose members agreed to withdraw the offending publicity, but something went wrong and not only did the posters continue to appear, but they appeared bearing the town's logo and sponsorship approval.  When further complaints reached the Mayor he immediately withdrew both and the Province of Siracusa also had its logo removed.

The organisers of the festival say the "cleavage" poster was only meant to be an experiment, however, and that no offence to women was intended.  A more innocent advertisement now adorns the festival website and preparations are once more in full swing.   In the words of John Lennon,  "Nothing to get hung about", then.