A plan to decorate the outside of the N&N with a poignant message about a life-threatening disease was cancelled for allegedly breaking an "advertising" ban. The project was for 8,000 purple crocus bulbs to be planted under the turf on the mound at the hospital on World Polio Day, October 24, by Norwich Rotary Club. Planting the bulbs then would have meant that by next spring the words 'END POLIO' would appear.
But the Rotary Club Norwich cancelled the project after it claims the Environment Arts Committee, at the N&N, decided the wording wouldn't be appropriate and was a "form of advertising". A spokesman for the hospital refuted the claim and instead said the reason the project was opposed was because the wording didn’t fit its conservation approach. Mike Stamford, president of the Norwich Rotary Club, said: "We're extremely disappointed and saddened we had to pull the plug at the eleventh hour.
The plan was to plant 8000 crocus bulbs outside the N&N on October 24 which would spell out END POLIO in spring (Image: Newsquest) "A lot of hard work had gone into this initiative. "The profile of the disease would have been raised to everyone visiting the hospital. "We've lost the chance this year, but we will save the corms and look for an alternative venue next year.
" The N&N however said that although it supported the campaign in principle, the wording didn't fit its conservation approach. A spokesman for the N&N said: "It's disappointing that the Rotarians have taken the dec.