It’s not all that often that a new book will permeate the general culture so much that the characters’ names become common parlance or the newspapers will borrow plot twists to illustrate their point.

I know when a book has hit the big time when my dearly beloved, but not-precisely-a-bookworm other half knows anything about it. So, forget about the millions of copies downloaded or sold and now cluttering up the nation’s charity shops, forget about the National Book Award win and the movie in the pipeline. No, I knew that EL James was a force to be reckoned with when, while shopping at Homebase, my husband dryly remarked that the Fifty Shades merchandising bandwagon had gone a little far if Mr Grey (Christy to those who know him really well) was putting his name to bathroom tiles.

And then the other night, I was startled to see that nation’s favourites Wallace and Gromit paid homage to the phenomenon in Visit England’s new advertising campaign. Can you spot it in the ad?

Lesley Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager