Dancing drinking and laughing; the wellington statue has been crowned a legend for its efforts and the particular crown in this situation is a traffic cone!
As Christmas draws closer gather round for a very serious story which contains drama and miracles a story where controversy meets fun. This is the story of the Wellington Statue.
A long time ago in the magical land of Glasgow there was a statue called the Equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington. It was there to commemorate the life and times of Arthur Wellesley the first duke of Wellington was a man with a rich and colourful history.
Born in 1769 Mr Wellington was a British Soldier who fought bravely in the Netherlands and India during the English Wars the Battle for Waterloo the Peninsular and the list goes on. Back then if you were a good fighter you were also a good decision maker so he also made Prime Minister twice Leader of the House of Lords and Foreign Secretary.
In 1844 a statue was built by Italian artist Carlo Marochetti which for a very long time sat undisturbed outside the Gallery of Modern Art.
That was until recently when drunken students began a revolution By putting traffic cones on the Dukes head! Time after time Glasgow city council tried to fight the craze costing £100 to remove it saying the cone gave the city a depressing feel.
But the students relented; even after the council planned to spend £65000 to make the statue taller in a bid to make it too dangerous to climb.
A public campaign consisting of 10000 signatures and a Facebook page gathering 100000 likes was the product of two cone activists Donna Yates and Gavin Doig. They said: The cone on Wellington’s head is an iconic part of Glasgow’s heritage and means far more to the people of Glasgow and to visitors than Wellington himself ever has.” Another supporter said: “This is not something the council should be ashamed of.”
The public backlash resulted in the council standing off and withdrawing their planning application; what a victory for the common men and women of Glasgow! Supporter Lara Davis wrote: “The cone is more of a symbol of the defiant fun spirit which Glasgow has always embodied and for which it’s renowned throughout the world.”
The lonely planet guidebook lists the cone on Duke in the list of top 10 most bizarre monuments on Earth. A replica model was even produced for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games where people danced the night away.
So there you have it the story of the Wellington Statue. A story which shows you dont have to take life seriously!
Written by Phil Adams Stay sharp
Never miss a story
The daily highways digest, straight to your mailbox.
You will get a confirmation email. Unsubscribe anytime. About The Highways Industry Newsletter →
You may also like
