As Wiltshire moves towards unitary status a huge effort is going on to let people know what's going on.

It's the biggest shake-up in local government for 30 years for Wiltshire, affecting thousands of employees and residents directly. Multi-million pound budgets are involved and services that touch people from cradle to grave.

The transition team is pouring its energy into informing people about what is happening. It's difficult because the press find the issue dull and a lot of questions can't be answered until the elections have taken place next April and the new cabinet starts making decisions.

The latest publicity idea is the five faces of Wiltshire.

These are five people featuring in a poster campaign to promote a discussion around the £800m budget for the new unitary authority. Residents will be able to say what they think are the most important services to them in a series of roadshows and other events.

So who are the famous five who reflect Wiltshire?

A woman who runs her own small business, a single mum, a seven-year-old girl who was born in Portugal, a retired soldier and Mick The Maverick - ex wrestler and owner of a prodigious amount of facial hair.

For those outside the county - insert your jokes here.

So all this is going on and I'm chatting to a couple of Wiltshire teachers (one is a headteacher) about some parish council business. These are people who will be employed by the new authority, who are intelligent, connected. I mention that the parish council could get more responsibility because of unitary status.

"Unitary?"

"You know, the districts and county council merging to form one new authority."

Blank looks.

So before anybody starts complaining about all the money being spent on promoting the new council it's worth wondering just how much actually sinks in after the months and months of publicity. Is it a failure to communicate or a failure to engage? Or is it something about teachers?

Meanwhile, having lost the unitary battle, Salisbury now wants to set up a city council to try and keep some budget and responsibility for itself.

Salisbury doesn't have a parish or town council as it was always looked after by the district council. (Same situation in Bath where there is a funny little group called the Charter Trustees who perform a parish council role for the city alongside the unitary B&NES council).

If it gets its way then down in Salisbury there will always be a little part of Wiltshire will be forever not be part of the unitary authority.

Actually, there are many parts of Wiltshire where time can similarly appear frozen - and that's part of its charm.