A Bank Holiday prankster has fixed a model of a Walnut Whip chocolate bar onto the head of a statue of Queen Victoria. While jokers have often placed traffic cones on top, one local artist decided to take the makeover a step further.
The bronze statue, first erected in Warrior Square, St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex, in 1902, now sports a giant polystyrene Walnut Whip. The artist, known as DLR, explained: 'I was given two Walnut Whips by a friend who does scenery for TV and film 14 years ago. They were going to go in a skip, so he turned up to my house and asked if I wanted them, so I said yeah. We actually did the same thing 13 years ago; I've been thinking of doing it again for ages, and I just wanted to get rid of it actually.'
He added: 'She usually has traffic cones on her head, so I thought we could go one step further and put a Walnut Whip on her head.'
Local photographer JJ Waller commented: 'What a simple, fun idea that has caused lots of laughter from locals and tourists over the Bank Holiday weekend. The town is full of surprises, and a Walnut Whip on the statue fits very well with the quirky and inspirational goings-on I have been photographing for the past 18 years. Queen Victoria herself might well have been very amused at this original escapade that goes beyond the proverbial traffic cone hat she has worn many times before.'
Not all jokes with artwork and statues have gone down well, however. A woman was accused of 'reckless indifference' after defacing an iconic Australian piece of art with googly-looking eyes last year. Amelia Vanderhorst placed large plastic stickers on the Cast in Blue sculpture in Mount Gambier, according to local news reports. The 19-year-old was caught on CCTV defacing the artwork, which the city now faces an estimated A$2,500 to repair after removing the eyes caused damage to the paintwork. Mayor Lynette Martin said in September the stickers were not 'harmless fun' but 'wilful damage' and added the council would pursue costs from those responsible. Known locally as 'Blue Bob', the piece was designed as a mythical version of the unique megafauna and inspired by an ancient marsupial found in caves in south-east Australia.
