only bad publicity is no publicity, or kill what's left of the tourism industry in doing so.

This can be the only explanation for the radio and newspaper advertising campaign currently drawing bad reviews in New York City.

Having made fun of Venice and Scotland in earlier ads, the experts in charge of the Island's advertising campaign have gone a step further by mocking the Island's most important metropolitan market -- New York City.

The advertisements comparing Bermuda to the Hamptons (ads comparing Bermuda to Cape Cod are apparently less controversial, or New Englanders may be more stoic than New Yorkers) by noting that everyone there is from New York, home of traffic and colourful language and people you only marginally like. That's funny -- those are the same people, along with the people who actually live in the Hamptons and vacation elsewhere, Bermuda wants to come to the Island.

It may be that there are enough New Yorkers who want to get away from their neighbours to make the campaign work, and Tourism Minister David Allen claims the early response has been encouraging and positive. Certainly the intention that these ads should have an impact and leave a lasting impression has been achieved, even if it's not the impression that was intended.

There is a good deal of merit in Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell's comment that Bermuda is a classier act than this. The same points can be made much more gently.

The good news? Bermuda has had its name splashed across Newsday, the most influential newspaper in Long Island, one fledgling national TV network (the WB) as well as the New York CBS affiliate. That's publicity you cannot buy -- another public relations cliche -- but the question is, are New Yorkers laughing, or packing their bags for a vacation to.. .anywhere but Bermuda? Dame Lois After more than 30 years when the Progressive Labour Party refused to accept honours from the Queen, the party has changed its mind.

Dame Lois Browne Evans, the second woman in Bermuda to accept the title after Dame Marjorie Bean, is a worthy recipient of the title of Dame of the Order of the British Empire and the obvious choice as the first PLP recipient of an award.

As a barrister and as a politician, she blazed trails for other Bermudian women to follow, sometimes at great personal sacrifice.

The positions Dame Lois has taken -- including the decision not to accept honours -- have not always been popular, but this award is long overdue for a politician whose endurance and integrity put many of her colleagues, most of them male, to shame.

What is unfortunate is that Dame Lois had to wait this long for the award, and that some of her past colleagues, notably the late PLP leader Frederick Wade, could not be similarly honoured.

Cynics may argue that the change of heart over awards came about at the same time that the PLP began to enjoy the fruits of government such as stretch limos and a great deal of first class travel.

But Dame Lois' own explanation is fair; she says she was always in favour of "people's awards'' once Bermuda attained Independence rather than awards from the Queen, but changed her mind given that Independence now seems some way off and she herself is in her 70s.

Now Government has changed its views on this, it has an ideal opportunity to ensure that awards are given to meritorious individuals from all parts of society, regardless of party or political viewpoint.