Muir of Ord chipper plans to make mark with new superhero

MOST people can summon a vision of Batman and his famous bat signal beaming into the skies above Gotham City’s troubled rooftops.

But now, a Muir of Ord chipper is drawing inspiration from the fictional superhero and his black-and-yellow call light by introducing... Batterman.

Jaki Pickett, who owns Jaki Fish and Chip Shop on the village’s Seaforth Road, wants to use her Batman-style spotlight to alert ravenous customers from miles around to tasty treats and offers.

The businesswoman has bought a Prolight Panorama IPB unit, capable of sending white and coloured light into the heavens.

She is now seeking permission from Highland Council to operate the mobile advertising device – not unlike Gotham City police department’s famous distress signal – to reach locals .

The unusual application will be considered by planning officials under delegated powers and has a determination deadline of January 22.

The application states that the spotlight’s “prisms overlap for spectacular aerial effects”, but Ms Pickett stressed it would only be used during opening hours.

These run from 4pm to 9pm on Friday and Saturday, and for slightly shorter times on other days.

Such is the strength of the light beams, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has had to be kept fully informed since trials in October.

The light is fully mobile and will be placed in the shop’s car park while operating and taken safely indoors after 9pm.

If successful in her application, Ms Pickett would renew notification to the CAA every 30 days, until the highly-visible lights were adopted in the “airman’s book” for pilots.

Ms Pickett said: “I’ve been speaking to the Civil Aviation Authority since May this year. It’s been well-planned and thought out. Ideally, I want to have different colours of beams of light for different deals and offers. If it’s orange, there might be a free sausage supper with every £10 spent, or if it’s lit blue it might be fish for a fiver.

“People can step out of their back door and check it out and, hopefully, kids will love it and say ‘look mum, dad – the light’s blue or the light’s green tonight!’

“I’m hoping everyone in the local area will be able to see it. In the trial, I drove to Inverness and could see it coming across the Kessock Bridge. If you’re coming from Fortrose, Invergordon or Garve, you can see the beam in the sky.”

The Batterman concept was dreamt up as a bit of fun to accompany the light show.

Jaki’s is currently enjoying great feedback from a new local radio jingle, with Batterman comic and colouring books being stocked.

A life-size cut-out of Batterman is also being made for outside the chip shop. In a nod to his fishy origins, the superhero has gills, a fin, webbed hands and flippered feet.

She added: “As a business, we need to evolve and adapt. It’s been a sad year. I want everyone to enjoy a bit of a laugh, and we want the kids to get involved interact.

“I don’t see why it won’t be approved. You do get negative people, but it is high enough in the sky, it is not going to run anybody off the road.”

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