Home

Legendary folk hero Robin Hood falls victim to woke culture as Nottingham Building Society drops him from logo

Troy de RuyterPerthNow
CommentsComments
Folk hero Robin Hood has ben killed off by the modern world.
Camera IconFolk hero Robin Hood has ben killed off by the modern world. Credit: The West Australian

He’s been a legendary hero for centuries, robbing from the rich to give to the poor and saving maidens in distress — but Robin Hood has finally met his match in the modern world’s woke culture.

The outlaw and his band of merry men, along with Maid Marian, have long been at the centre of countless movies, TV series and books, hiding out in Sherwood Forest in Nottingham.

But an English financial institution that once proudly used the 12th-century noble turned rebel in its logo has dropped him from its banner — because he’s not “inclusive enough”.

Nottingham Building Society axed Robin as part of a rebrand to celebrate diversity.

Kevin Costner famously played the outlaw in hit movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991.
Camera IconKevin Costner famously played the outlaw in hit movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991. Credit: Warner Bros/Warner Bros

“We’ve mixed our rich history with a modern twist,” bosses announced proudly.

“We want to reflect society as it is today. For us, that means championing inclusivity and celebrating financial diversity.”

The original logo, in which the company was simply known as The Nottingham, featured the famous bowman with a quiver in his hat.

The building society was once so proud of the logo that it was painted on ceramic piggy banks.

Further explaining the new look logo, a spokesman for the society said: “We are incredibly proud of our roots and 175 years of history in Nottingham.

“Our new look reflects our commitment to building for the future.”

But the move has not gone down well with customers, who labelled it a “sad day”.

“We have lost our much-loved and widely recognised logo and come up with a very expensive and confusing rebranding,” Amanda Johnson wrote.

Nottingham Building Society's original logo featuring Robin Hood.
Camera IconNottingham Building Society's original logo featuring Robin Hood. Credit: Supplied
Notting Building Society's new logo without Robin Hood.
Camera IconNotting Building Society's new logo without Robin Hood. Credit: Supplied

William Browne added: “I preferred the old logo.”

Former British government minister Sir Alec Shelbrooke was not amused either.

“There’s nothing more English than the story of Robin Hood — the classic folklore legend ... this is the madness of woke culture taking over,” he said.

“Robin Hood used to have a quiver but now it’s the do-gooders at Nottingham Building Society.

“These types of local building societies have a connection to the people around them.

“Ditching the city’s best-known figure doesn’t seem like a wise business decision and one that will probably be very unpopular with customers.”

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails