'Bog standard': Artist derides West Berkshire Council logo...but Wiltshire's is worse!

A GRAPHIC designer has damned West Berkshire Council's logo with faint praise.

But apparently it could have been worse.

For Robin Wilde, who is based in Washington, USA, said of Wiltshire Council's emblem: "I was going to type a short review of this - but I fell asleep trying."

His comments were made in a quirky, online review of all 399 local authority logos in the UK, including Basingstoke & Dean and Hampshire.

Mr Wilde writes: "The humble local council.

"Recipient for every half-informed beef of the British busybody, from potholes to bin collections to tree-felling.

"But they do some more noble tasks, too — providing housing, social care and public services like libraries for millions of people.

"Each has been ranked using some broad criteria accounting for the adherence to design principles, the originality of the concept, and the technical execution, with nebulous bonus points added or subtracted on a whim, because unlike your local council, this is not a democracy.

"Among much chaff, though, there are a few stars (and some really astonishing disappointments)."

West Berkshire Council certainly seemed to fit the latter category.

Ranking it's logo as 273rd from the top, the commentary states: "I’d praise them for the innovative font work here in combining the E and the K, but I’m at least 30 per cent confident this was a mistake.

"Absent that, it’s a bog standard crest n’ text."

Wiltshire, although placed higher overall at 254, attracted a worse barb.

Mr Wilde writes: "I was going to type a short review of this but I fell asleep trying."

Basingstoke & Dean fares a little better, ranked 173 - "a nice blue is the main standout of an otherwise pleasant enough but unremarkable logo."

The most favoured in newburytoday.co.uk's circulation area was Hampshire.

Ranked 85th, it apparently represents "good work for a basic concept — nodding at the county’s heritage without overdoing it."

In first place was Bedford Borough Council, of which Mr Wilde writes: "Ask me for a council logo that can reproduce at scale across your bin lorries and also strike fear into your enemies carried aloft on a banner into battle, and I’ll show you Bedford."

Last on the list was Allerdale Borough Council, which Mr Wilde likens to the Windows 95 desktop background.

What do you think?

Check out the entire list here: https://robin-cg.medium.com/a-totally-objective-ranking-of-every-uk-local-authority-logo-b76e8f7efd5a